About Miri Kim
Miri Kim is a South Korean 1A competitor and one of the most decorated players in modern competition yo-yo. Born around 2010, she began yo-yoing at age five in 2015 when her father introduced the hobby to her and her brother, Mir Kim. Despite a slow start — it took her six months to learn the basic bind — she developed rapidly, capturing her first national title at the Korea National Yo-Yo Contest in 2019.
Sponsored by YoYoFactory since November 2022, Kim is a five-time World Yo-Yo Contest Women’s Freestyle champion: the Online WYYC in 2021 and 2022, followed by three consecutive in-person titles at Osaka 2023, Cleveland 2024, and Prague 2025. She has also pushed into the Open 1A division: at WYYC 2024 she placed 13th, becoming the first female finalist in Open 1A since 2008, then improved to 8th at WYYC 2025.
Together with Mir Kim she co-designed the Miracle series for YoYoFactory — a hybrid 7075 aluminum and polycarbonate construction. She used the original Black Miracle to win the 2023 world title. The line has since expanded to include the Miracle 2025, Miracle Marvelous, Miracle Polycarbonate, Miracle Mini, TOKI-YO Miracle, and MASTERPIECE Miracle.
Outside of yo-yoing, Kim reads Greek and Roman classics, writes short stories, draws in the style of Renaissance painters (especially Raphael), and enjoys Italian food. She describes yo-yoing as “like climbing stairs, taking one step at a time,” and credits consistency over talent.
In Her Own Words
From a 2025 YoYoExpert player profile interview.
What got you into throwing?
I started yo-yoing in 2015 when I was five years old. My dad bought yo-yos for me and my brother. At first, I wasn’t very interested because it was difficult to learn tricks. It took me six months just to learn the basic bind. However, having successfully mastered some tricks and achieved good results in contests, I started to get more interested in yo-yoing.
What is your goal in 2025?
My goal is to advance to the 1A final at worlds. Also, since I made many mistakes due to nervousness on stage last year, I want to perform better this year.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would probably choose the Miracle 2025. It’s my signature yo-yo, and it has the best specs for landing my tricks.
What trick are you working on currently?
I am practicing my routine repeatedly for the World Yo-Yo Contest. I want to reduce mistakes by practicing that routine for a long time.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
I think the 4.0 and 4.5 hooks are most difficult to land, and those are the hardest tricks to nail on stage. The horizontal tricks are hard to do as well.
What’s your most meaningful throw?
The most meaningful yo-yo is the Black Original Miracle that I used when I won the Women’s Freestyle at the 2023 World Yo-Yo Contest.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
My worst habit is feeling excessively nervous on stage. Unlike during practice, I get really nervous when I’m on stage, which makes it hard to carry out my tricks.
What are you into outside of yo-yos?
I like reading, writing, drawing, and taking photos. I love reading Greek and Roman classics and epic poems. I enjoy writing short stories and drawing in the style of Renaissance era paintings — especially Raphael Santi’s masterpieces.
What song best fits your personality?
I think fast-paced music with a climax suits me the best.
Favorite restaurant and order?
My favorite is an Italian restaurant. I like Margherita Pizza, Bolognese and Vongole pasta, and Lasagna. I love Italian desserts such as Schiacciata alla fiorentina, Panforte, and Millefoglie.
Favorite movie and/or book?
My favorite movies are Life is Beautiful and The Prestige. My favorite books are The Iliad, The Odyssey, the tragedies by Greek playwrights, and Night Flight. I also like reading books about Renaissance art, as drawing is my favorite hobby.
What does yo-yoing mean to you?
To me, yo-yoing is like climbing stairs, taking one step at a time in order. In yo-yoing you can’t achieve all in an instant. I believe that diligence is the key in this process. There are no leaps in yo-yoing. What matters is consistency.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby?
The greatest memory I have is when I made it to the 1A final at the World Yo-Yo Contest. It was one of my biggest goals. I didn’t expect that I could pass the prelims because I changed my yo-yo at the beginning.
What’s your biggest accomplishment, yo-yo or not?
I think the biggest accomplishment I’ve made is winning the Women’s Freestyle title multiple times in a row.
How has the community changed since you started?
It seems that more people are promoting themselves through online communities rather than offline ones. Since the pandemic, the number of people sharing their yo-yo tricks and performances on social media platforms like Instagram has increased, so has the number of people watching that content and becoming more interested in yo-yoing.
If you never picked up a yo-yo, what would things look like now?
If I hadn’t gotten into yo-yoing, I probably would have dreamed of becoming a painter. However, I might not have been very special at it. Being a painter is a dream many people have, so becoming successful in that field would have been much more difficult.
Advice/words of wisdom to new players?
Yo-yoing requires a lot of practice. If you don’t put in the effort, it will be difficult to achieve success. I think talent is not that important. The more you overcome your limits, the higher you’ll reach. And be confident on stage!
