80-year-old makes history by becoming Miss Universe Korea's oldest contestant
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2024-10-01 10:46 GMT
An 80-year-old South Korean model has made history by becoming the oldest contestant in the Miss Universe Korea pageant.
Choi Soon-hwa stands out confidently among her fellow competitors, who are many decades younger than her.
Even though she has an octogenarian status, Choi is intent on showing the world that age is just a number.
Ahead of the Miss Universe Korea grand finale, held on September 30, She told CNN on the phone, "I want to stun the world, like, ‘How is an 80-year-old lady so healthy? How did she maintain that body? What’s your diet?’"
"When you get old, you gain weight… So, I want to show that we can live healthily even when we get old," she added.
Choi Soon-hwa was born in 1952, i,e; a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held.
This marks the first ever occasion that the Miss Universe pageant has removed age and similar restrictions for candidates. Previously, the Miss Universe pageant allowed only women aged 18 to 24 to compete. In 2024, in response to demands for modernization, the organizers eliminated age limits.
Additionally, the ban on pregnant, married, and divorced women was lifted last year.
Chai told CNN, "Now that the age restriction has been lifted, I said, ‘I should give it a try.
"Whether I get through or not, I was determined to try and get this opportunity,” she added further.
Despite her impressive performance in a beaded white gown and her talent showcased in a singing contest at the Miss Universe Korea pageant in Seoul on Monday, Choi couldn't win the crown but earned the prestigious "best dressed" award.
The contest was won by Han Ariel, a 22-year-old fashion school student, who will represent South Korea at the global Miss Universe pageant in November in Mexico City.
Choi, a former hospital care worker who began her modeling career in her 70s, was named a finalist for Miss Universe Korea earlier this month by competing against 31 other contestants.