Meet the 80-year-old Miss Universe Korea contestant proving age is just a number

CNN

By Oscar Holland and Gawon Bae, CNN

(CNN) — Born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952, 80-year-old Choi Soon-hwa could now make history as the pageant’s oldest ever participant.

Earlier this month, she was unveiled as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition. On Monday, Choi will go head-to-head with 31 other contestants for the tiara — and a chance to represent South Korea at the Miss Universe final in Mexico this November.

“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?’” she told CNN on the phone ahead of the pageant. “When you get old, you gain weight… So, I want to show that we can live healthily even when we get old.”

For decades, the Miss Universe Organization enforced strict age restrictions limiting participation to women aged 18 to 28. But from 2024, amid growing calls to modernize, the upper age limit has been lifted. Last year, the organization also 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, although not all directly administered by the Miss Universe Organization, were obliged to follow suit. This year, 58-year-old Lorraine Peters and 60-year-old Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez took 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 said, adding: “Whether I get through or not, I was determined to try and get this opportunity.”

Set to be the oldest person ever to participate in a national Miss Universe pageant, Choi — should she take the title and advance to Mexico — would be more than twice the age of the next oldest finalist (40-year-old Beatrice Njoya of Malta is currently the oldest confirmed participant, and the mother of three children, although a handful of countries are yet to select their entrant).

Evolving world of pageantry

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

Monday’s pageant will see Choi take part in a singing contest, with other finalists performing dances or walking in traditional Korean clothing known as “hanbok.” The winner of Miss Universe Korea will be decided through a scoring system that considers online voting and judges’ assessments, which Choi said valued both “outer and inner beauty.”

“Looking beautiful on the outside is important, but I think you need to be at ease in your mind as well, and know how to respect others,” she said, adding: “Also, you need to be a positive thinker. So many people are negative these days.”

Korean pageants have been criticized 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 by organizers. But Choi is unfazed by the development.

“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,” she said. “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.”

Late career change

While Monday’s contest marks Choi’s pageant debut, she has already made a name for herself in the Korean fashion world. After leaving retirement amid financial difficulties to work as a hospital carer in her 50s, Choi began modeling aged 72 to help pay off debts.

“One of my patients told me to try modeling,” recalled Choi, adding: “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, practicing her runway walks 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. She 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.

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

More opportunities

With a rapidly declining birth rate, South Korea is among the world’s fastest-aging countries. Earlier this year, the number of South Koreans aged 65 or above exceeded 10 million for the first time, representing almost 20% of the population. This figure is predicted to rise to 36.7% — higher than any other country — by 2044, according to government forecasts.

In turn, the 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) 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.”

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