After popular pressure, the Miss Universe pageant this year removed the upper age limit for participation for candidates. Choi Soon-hwa, an 80-year-old South Korean, embarked on the adventure and reached the finals of Miss Universe Korea. If she is crowned this Monday, she will become the oldest candidate to run for Miss Universe.
Beauty has no age. Choi Soon-hwa is proof of this. At 80 years old, this South Korean is in the finals of the Miss Universe Korea pageant and could well make history as the oldest participant in the history of Miss Universe.
This Monday, she faces 31 other candidates to win the national competition and have the chance to represent South Korea in the Miss Universe final, which will take place in Mexico in November.
Removal of upper age limit
For decades, only women aged 18 to 28 could compete in the Miss Universe pageant. But, “from 2024, amid growing calls for modernization, the upper age limit has been lifted”notes the American media CNN.
Last year, the organization also updated the eligibility criteria by removing the ban on participation for pregnant women, mothers, or already married women.
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“I wanted to try my luck, it didn’t matter if I succeeded or not”
“Miss Universe pageants at the national level, although not all directly administered by the Miss Universe organization, have been required to do the same”tell CNN. Then, the first older candidates appeared. Lorraine Peters, 58, competed in Miss Universe Canada and Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez, 60, in Miss Universe Argentina. But neither managed to qualify for the November final.
“Now that the age restriction has been lifted, I had to try”said Choi Soon-hwa, adding: “I wanted to try my luck, regardless of whether I succeeded or not. »
For now, the oldest finalist in the Miss Universe competition is Maltese Beatrice Njoya, 40 years old and mother of three children.
The winner of Miss Universe Korea, named this Monday, will be chosen through a rating system that takes into account online public voting and judges’ evaluations, which Choi Soon-hwa said value both “outer and inner beauty”she told CNN. “Being beautiful on the outside is important, but I think you also need to be comfortable in your mind and know how to respect others. »
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Modeling to pay off debts
After coming out of retirement due to financial difficulties to work as a hospital orderly, Choi Soon-hwa took up modeling at the age of 72 to pay off debts. “I lent a lot of money to someone who turned out to be a scammer”she relates to Washington Times. Massively in debt, she lost all her money and her house.
“One of my patients told me to try modelingremembers Choi Soon-hwa. I thought it was absurd… But at the same time, it awakened my old dream of becoming a model, wearing pretty clothes and doing photo shoots. So, I said yes. »
The South Korean started taking weekly classes at a modeling academy. At the same time, she practiced parading through the hospital corridors during her breaks at work. In 2017, she signed with her teacher’s modeling agency before making her debut at Seoul Fashion Week, at the age of 74, the following year.
“My grandmother is amazing!” »
She has since appeared in Korean editions of magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar et Elleand has produced commercial campaigns for brands such as the popular South Korean beer Cass.
Her children and grandchildren are fully behind her. “They say they’re really proud of me, like, ‘My grandma is amazing!’ » … My son said he was proud of me no matter the result. » So, there is no age to make your dreams come true. By the end of the year, Choi Soon-hwa may be crowned the most beautiful woman in the world, at 81 years old.
