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South Korea: 81 years old and candidate for Miss Universe
🇰🇷 In South Korea, an octogenarian miss! 👗 At 81, Choi Soon-hwa competed to represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant. Having become a model at 72, she was able to present herself this year because the age limit of 28 was removed. 🌎 For now, the oldest candidate officially selected for the competition is Beatrice Njoya, 40, who will represent Malta in the election on November 16 in Mexico City.
(OLIVIER BALD / RADIO FRANCE)
At 81, Choi Soon-hwa competed to represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant. Having become a model at 72, she was able to present herself this year because the age limit of 28 was removed.
An 81-year-old Korean woman, candidate to represent her country in the Miss Universe competition. After a decade of modeling, Choi Soon-hwa is no stranger to the country. Although she lost to a candidate 60 years younger, she attracted the public’s favor. And won the prize for best dressed.
Choi Soon-hwa was born in 1943, nine years before the creation of the Miss Universe pageant, when Korea was still occupied by Japan. This nurse raises her children alone after her divorce. After a financial scam that left her destitute, a relative advised her to start modeling for the elderly, even though 20% of South Koreans are over 65 years old.
At 72, she is therefore embarking on a new career, and a new challenge this year, since since 2024, the rules for participation in the Miss Universe competition have been relaxed: the age limit at 28 is over, and the age limit is also over. obligation to never have been married and not to have had children. The swimsuit parade has also been forgotten, so that all the candidates can feel comfortable with their bodies.
Moreover, Choi Soon-hwa is not the only middle-aged woman to participate in the Miss Universe national selections. Lorraine Peters, 58, presented herself during the national selections in Canada like Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez, 60, in Argentina. For now, the oldest qualified candidate for the Miss Universe pageant is the representative from Malta. At 40, Beatrice Njoya will try to win in Mexico, Saturday November 16, 2024.