By Aadi Nair CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Gim Eun-ji's South Korea claimed an impressive 8-3 win over round-robin leaders Sweden on Wednesday in the women's curling competition at the Winter Olympics to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish and a spot in the semi-finals.

Sweden finishes round-robin play 7-2 and clinches the No. 1 seed in the semifinals, which will be played on Friday morning. China (2-6) will play their final game in Cortina on Thursday against Japan, beginning at 8:05 a.m. ET.

Two South Korean skiers were disqualified from the Winter Olympics qualifying round on Tuesday after officials said they were using a banned substance on their equipment.

The heat is on for South Korea's women's curling team who need to defeat top-ranked Canada in their final round-robin match to ensure a semi-final spot at the Winter Olympics, but skip Gim Eun-ji is determined to keep smiling under pressure.

Kim finished the day with the silver medal.

The K-pop idol, 23, and his group ENHYPEN frequently face seas of fans when they arrive at the airport or Fashion Weeks around the world, and they perform to sold-out venues with upwards of 40,000 fans. On Feb. 5, he flew solo in Milan for one of his biggest and most global occasions yet: the 2026 Winter Olympics torch relay.

SEOUL, Feb 6 (Reuters) - North Korea has opened its national winter games, state media reported, as athletes from the reclusive state sit out the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics after failing to secure qualification spots.

Both South Korean teams competing in the two-man bobsleigh at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics finished outside the top 10 on Tuesday. Pilot Kim Jin-su and brakeman Kim Hyeong-geun finished in 13th place with a time of 3:43.