Meet 81-year-old Korean who almost became world's oldest Miss Universe contestant

It is rightly said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

An 81-year-old model fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant after competing in the South Korean pageant against much younger rivals.

Silver-haired Choi Soon-hwa was dressed in a beaded white gown as she strutted across the stage at the Miss Universe Korea pageant held on Monday at a hotel in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

She performed in a singing contest, while other finalists performed dances or walked in traditional Korean clothing known as “hanbok.”

Choi was announced as a Miss Universe Korea finalist earlier this month along with 31 other contestants.

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Though Choi missed out on the crown, she did take home the “best dresser” award.

Han Ariel, a 22-year-old fashion school student, won the contest and will head to Mexico City for the Miss Universe pageant in November.

Choi’s journey of late career change

Born in 1943, nearly a decade before the first Miss Universe pageant in 1952, Choi is a former hospital care worker.

She started modelling at the age of 72 to help pay off debts after leaving retirement in her 50s to work as a hospital carer due to financial troubles.

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The grandmother of three recalled, in an interview with CNN, “One of my patients told me to try modelling. 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.’”

She began her training with weekly classes at a modelling academy and practised her runway walks down the hospital hallways during shifts.

Choi signed with her teacher’s agency in 2017 and eventually made her runway debut the next year at Seoul Fashion Week when she was 74.

Since then, she has appeared in the Korean editions of magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Elle and even starred in commercials for popular South Korean brands.

“Becoming a model was like opening a door to a new path for me,” Choi told CNN.

‘Age is just a number’

Despite her age, Choi is quite confident in her abilities.

“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 told CNN.

“Even at this age, I had the courage to grab onto an opportunity and take on a challenge,” she told The Associated Press hours before Monday’s pageant.

“I want people to look at me and realise that you can live healthier and find joy in life when you find things you want to do and challenge yourself to achieve that dream.”

Notably, Koreans have long been promoting a singular idea of beauty, which includes the increasing use of cosmetic surgery.

Choi believes, “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. Also, you need to be a positive thinker. So many people are negative these days.”

“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," she told CNN.

Korea’s low birthrate: an opportunity

South Korea is among the world’s fastest-ageing countries.

Its birth rate is rapidly declining.

Earlier this year, the number of South Koreans aged 65 or above, represented almost 20 per cent of the population, exceeding 10 million for the first time.

This figure is expected to rise to 36.7 per cent by 2044, higher than any other country, the government predicts.

Choi, however, knows how to make the best of the bad situation. She believes the situation presents new opportunities for older models.

“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.”

The evolving Miss Universe

It would have been impossible for Choi to compete in the pageant a year ago, as Miss Universe had limited the participation to women between 18 and 28.

The age limit, which had long drawn criticism, was lifted this year amid growing calls to modernisation.

Organisers of the Korean pageant also removed the swimsuit competition and eligibility requirements related to education, height and foreign language abilities to open the contest to more women.

They also removed a longstanding ban on pregnant or married women and mothers.

For those uninitiated, Choi isn’t the only old contestant, Lorraine Peters (58) and Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez also took part in Miss Universe Canada and Miss Argentiana, respectively. However, neither of them advanced to November’s final.

With inputs from agencies