Meet the 80-year-old Miss Universe Korea contestant who proves her age is just a number

CNN
—

Born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952, Choi Soon-hwa, 80, could now make history as the oldest participant in the pageant’s history.

Earlier this month, she was revealed as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea pageant. On Monday, Choi will compete against 31 other contestants for the tiara – and have the chance to represent South Korea at the Miss Universe finals in Mexico next November.

“I want to amaze the world by asking them: ‘How can an 80-year-old lady be so healthy?’ How did she maintain this body? What is your diet? she told CNN over the phone before the competition. “When we get older, we gain weight… So, I want to show that we can live healthily even as we age. »

For decades, the Miss Universe Organization had strict age restrictions limiting participation to women aged 18 to 28. But from 2024, in the face of growing calls for modernization, the upper age limit has been removed. Last year, the organization also updated eligibility criteria to remove a long-standing ban on pregnant women or mothers, as well as women who were – or had previously been – married.

National-level Miss Universe pageants, while not all directly administered by the Miss Universe Organization, have been forced to follow suit. This year, Lorraine Peters, 58, and Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez, 60, competed in Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe Argentina, respectively, but did not qualify for the November final.

“Now that the age limit has been lifted, I said, ‘I should try,’” Choi said, adding, “Whether I succeed or not, I was determined to try and seize this opportunity. ”

Destined to become the oldest person to ever compete in a national Miss Universe pageant, Choi – should she win the title and advance to Mexico – would be more than twice the age of the next oldest finalist (Beatrice Njoya , from Malta, 40 years old). is currently the oldest confirmed participant and a mother of three children, although a handful of countries have not yet selected their participant).

Organizers of Miss Universe Korea announced this year’s pageant by saying in their promotional materials that “age doesn’t matter when it comes to dreaming.” They also removed its swimwear segment.

Monday’s competition will see Choi compete in a singing competition, with other finalists performing dances or walking in traditional Korean clothing known as “hanbok.” The winner of Miss Universe Korea will be decided via a scoring system that takes into account online voting and judges’ evaluations, which Choi said value both “outer and inner beauty.”

“It’s important to be beautiful on the outside, but I think you also have to be comfortable in your mind and know how to respect others,” she said, adding: “Also, you have to be a positive thinker. A lot of people are negative these days.”

Korean pageants have been criticized in recent years for promoting a singular idea of ​​beauty — one that critics say is reinforced by some participants’ use of cosmetic surgery, which is generally not restricted by organizers. But Choi is not perturbed by this development.

“It’s hard to find people who haven’t had alterations or plastic surgery, and I think it’s time to embrace it,” she said. “A lot of people roll their eyes or roll their noses… It used to be something that other people spoke badly about, but it’s not like that anymore. It’s not just Korean women: many women around the world undergo plastic surgery.”

Although Monday’s competition marks Choi’s debut, she has already made a name for herself in the Korean fashion world. After coming out of retirement due to financial difficulties to work as a hospital orderly in her 50s, Choi began modeling at the age of 72 to help pay off debts.

“One of my patients told me to try modeling,” Choi recalled, adding, “I thought it was nonsense… but at the same time, it awakened my old dream of becoming a model , to wear pretty clothes and do photo shoots So I said, “Yes, I dreamed of it before, I should try it.”

Choi took weekly classes at a modeling academy, practicing walking the hospital corridors during her shifts. She signed with her teacher’s agency in 2017 before making her debut at Seoul Fashion Week, at the age of 74, the following year. She has since appeared in the Korean editions of magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, and has also done commercial campaigns for brands such as popular South Korean beer Cass.

“Becoming a model was like opening the door to a new path for me, so I planned in my mind. I said, “I will succeed and work hard”… When my dream came true, I thanked God and continued to work hard. It’s so much fun and I love it.

With a rapidly declining birth rate, South Korea is one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Earlier this year, the number of South Koreans aged 65 or older surpassed 10 million for the first time, accounting for nearly 20% of the population. This figure is expected to rise to 36.7%, more than any other country, by 2044, according to government forecasts.

In turn, opportunities for – and attitudes towards – older models are improving, according to Choi.

“There are a lot of senior models these days,” she said. “But maybe (only a fraction of them) actually get to work and get paid. It’s certainly different from 10 or 20 years ago. Ten years ago, no one was really looking for senior models. Older models simply worked as a hobby for fun, not paid work.

Choi believes her modeling experience will prove useful in the world of beauty pageants: “Walking on a runway is a collaboration of shoulders, knees and hips. All the Miss Universe contestants are really good at walking like models. Some are even better than the real models.

The grandmother of three, who turns 81 next month, told CNN she was excited about the prospect of representing her country abroad: “I’ve always dreamed of going on stage at the foreigner, so my mindset is prepared. Japan is the only other country I’ve been to, and I think (the competition organizers) would teach the winner everything, so I’m ready! »

She also benefits from the support of her children and grandchildren. “They say they’re really proud of me, like, ‘My grandma is amazing!’… My son said he’s proud of me and he should enjoy it regardless of the outcome.”