Korean gran hopes to compete in Miss Universe pageant

From this year, there is no upper age limit in the contest culminating in a November pageant

A South Korean grandmother is defying beauty stereotypes in her quest to represent the East Asian country at this November’s Miss Universe pageant in Mexico.
If successful, Choi Soon-hwa, 80, would make history as the oldest contestant in the history of the global beauty competition.
Born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952, and generations apart from her 31 younger rivals, silver-haired Ms Choi told CNN she wanted to make a splash by winning the tiara.
“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 said ahead of Monday’s South Korean contest to select a national beauty queen to go to Mexico.
“When you get old, you gain weight … so, I want to show that we can live healthily even when we get old,” she said.Her bid has been made possible by rule changes intended to modernise the global pageant, including the removal of a ban on women who were, or had ever been, married.
The Miss Universe Organisation has also ditched previous age restrictions limiting participation to women aged between 18 and 28. From this year, there is now no upper age limit.
“Now that the age restriction has been lifted, I said, ‘I should give it a try,’” Ms Choi said, adding: “Whether I get through or not, I was determined to try and get this opportunity.”
Ms Choi previously worked as a hospital carer but forged a second career as a model in her seventies, fulfilling a long-held dream.
She made her first appearance at Seoul Fashion Week at the age of 74 in 2018. She has also featured in fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Elle.
“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,” she said.
Her family were proud of her work, said the grandmother of three.
“Looking beautiful on the outside is important, but… you need to be a positive thinker. So many people are negative these days,” she said ahead of the competition.
Going on stage abroad would realise another ambition for Ms Choi.
“I always dreamed of going on stage abroad … I’m ready,” she said.