KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — She was born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952.
And now 80-year-old Choi Soon-hwa could now make history as the pageant’s oldest ever participant after she was revealed as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition, earlier this month.
Tomorrow, she will go join 31 other contestants to fight it out for the tiara and sash — and a chance to represent South Korea at the Miss Universe final in Mexico this November.
Traditionally, the Miss Universe Organisation enforces strict age restrictions limiting participation to women aged 18 to 28.
From 2024, the upper age limit was lifted, after it updated eligibility criteria to remove a longstanding ban on pregnant women or mothers, and women who were — or ever had been — married.
National-level Miss Universe pageants are not all directly administered by the Miss Universe Organisation, but are obliged to follow suit.
Choi’s attempt is not the first, with 58-year-old Lorraine Peters and 60-year-old Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez taking part in Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe Argentina, respectively, though neither advanced to November’s final.
“Now that the age restriction has been lifted, I said, ‘I should give it a try,’” Choi was reported saying by CNN.
“Whether I get through or not, I was determined to try and get this opportunity.
“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.”
Should she take the title and advance to Mexico — Choi would be more than twice the age of the next oldest finalist so far in 40-year-old mother of three children, Beatrice Njoya of Malta.
Miss Universe Korea organised announced this year’s competition by claiming in promotional materials that “age doesn’t matter when it comes to dreaming,” apart from the noticeable removal of the swimsuit category.
Choi will sing in the competition, with other finalists performing dances or walking in traditional Korean clothing known as “hanbok,” as the winner is decided through a scoring system that considers online voting and judges’ assessments.
Korean pageants have been criticised in recent years for promoting a singular idea of beauty — one that detractors say is reinforced by some participants’ use of cosmetic surgery, which is typically not restricted.
“It’s hard to find people who haven’t done any touch-ups or plastic surgery, and I think it’s time we just embrace it.
“A lot of people do their eyes or raise their nose… Back in the day, it used to be something others spoke ill of, but it’s not like that now. It’s not just Koreans — a lot of women around the world are undergoing plastic surgery.”
Choi is no stranger to the Korean fashion world.
She left retirement to begin modelling to help pay off debts after her previous work as a hospital carer in her 50s.
“One of my patients told me to try modeling. I thought it was nonsense… but at the same time, it awoke my old dream of becoming a model, wearing pretty clothes and doing photo shoots. So, I said, ‘Yes, I used to dream of that before, I should try it.’”
Choi took weekly classes at a modeling academy, practised her runwa walk down the hospital hallways during shifts.
She signed to her teacher’s agency in 2017 before making her Seoul Fashion Week debut, aged 74, the next year and has since appeared in the Korean editions of magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, as well shooting commercial campaigns for brands including the popular South Korean beer, Cass.
“There are a lot of senior models these days,” she said. “But maybe (only a fraction of them) get to work and get paid. It is different for sure, compared to 10, 20 years ago though. Ten years ago, no one really looked for senior models. Elder models were just working as a hobby for fun, not as a paid job.”
Choi believes her modeling experience will prove useful in the pageant world.
“Walking 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 actual models.”
The grandmother of three, who turns 81 next month, told CNN that she is excited by the prospect of representing her country overseas.
“I always dreamed of going on stage abroad, so my mindset is prepared. Japan is the only other country I’ve been to, and I believe (pageant organizers) would teach the winner everything, so I’m ready!”
She has the support, too, of her children and grandchildren.
“They say they’re really proud of me like, ‘My granny is amazing!’… My son said he’s proud of me, and to enjoy it regardless of the outcome.”
