Oldest Miss Universe contestant: 80-year-old South Korean model Choi Soon-hwa recently fell short in her bid to represent her country in Miss Universe 2024. If Choi Soon-hwa had won the Miss South Korea Universe, she would have become the oldest Miss Universe Contestant or Oldest Miss Universe Pageant. Nevertheless, Choi Soon-hwa has become a social media sensation and grabbed global headline for her attempt to pursue her dreams in the Miss Universe 2024 contest. Choi Soon-hwa fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant after competing in the South Korean pageant against much younger rivals on Monday in Seoul.
Miss South Korea Universe 2024 was won by 22-year-old fashion school student Han Ariel. Miss South Korea Universe 2024 Han Ariel will now represent her country at the 73rd Miss Universe Contest slated to take place in November 2024 in New Mexico City. Choi Soon-hwa won the best dresser award at the event.
Who is Choi Soon-hwa, the oldest Miss South Korea Universe contestant?
Choi Soon-hwa is a former hospital care worker who embarked on her modeling career in her 70s. 80-year-old Choi Soon-hwa was among the 32 finalists announced earlier this month at the Miss South Korea Universe contest. "Even at this age, I had the courage to grab onto an opportunity and take on a challenge," Choi was quoted saying by a US newswire.
Choi Soon-hwa Birth Date: Choi Soon-hwa was born nearly a decade before the first Miss Universe pageant, which took place in 1952. Determined to make history, Choi aimed to win the title and represent South Korea at the Miss Universe final in Mexico this November.
For the unversed, the Miss Universe pageant organization has lifted the upper age limit of 28 to modernize the competition. To be precise, the Miss Universe Organization has removed the age limit for contestants, so there is no age restriction for Miss Universe 2024. This means that any adult woman in the world is eligible to compete.
Choi Soon-hwa began her modeling career after facing severe financial difficulties at the age of 50. During her career at the hospital, she received advice from a patient. Thereafter, she began training and eventually made her runway debut at Seoul Fashion Week at the age of 74. Choi has since appeared in prestigious magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Elle and has been featured in commercials for popular South Korean brands.