 | By Cho Jin-seo and Kang Shin-who Staff Reporter
Lee Honey (Ha-nui), a graduate student of Korean traditional music at Seoul National University, was honored as the most beautiful woman in South Korea at the 50th pageant ceremony held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in the heart of Seoul. ``I want to give all the glories to God,'' Lee said in watery eyed moments after receiving a warm hug from last year's winner Kim Joo-hee. Apparently on the verge of bursting into joyful tears, she couldn't continue her words. ``This will be a big turning point of my life,'' she told The Korea Times backstage after the show. ``I will be the messenger of Korean beauty to the world.'' Lee, who prefers ``Honey'' as her English name, will represent South Korea at various international beauty contests such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Asia-Pacific. She majored in kayagum, a Korean traditional string instrument, at the Seoul National University, the most distinguished school in South Korea. She is continuing her studies as a graduate student at the same school. Lee's father is known as a top official at the National Intelligence Service. One of her uncles is Moon Hee-sang, lawmaker of Uri Party who was a top aide of President Roh Moo-hyun. Her mother and older sister are all kayagum players, too. The runner-up prizes of the pageant went to Park Sharon from Inchon and Jang Yun-seo from North Chungchong Province. Co-organized by the Hankook Ilbo and Sports Hankook, sister papers of The Korea Times, the 50th beauty queen event was participated in by 61 contestants, including 16 Korean descendants from Korean communities abroad. Throughout the two and half hour event, a star-studded panel of judges rated the contestants during musical performances, swimsuit and evening dress shows and interviews. The judges screened 17 candidates in the first round, and seven contestants were left on the stage after their second interview. The pageant ceremony was broadcast live on cable channel MBC Drama Net. New Miss Korea Lee also received 20 million won in prize money. Runners-up Park and Jang were awarded 10 million won each. 08-03-2006 23:04 | | | |
| Miss Korea Contest | |||||
| By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter
The contestants in this year's Miss Korea contest have proved that physical charms cannot sparkle without inner attractions and efforts to develop them. The pageant, which was held last night at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul, garnered Lee Honey (Ha-nui) from Seoul the honor of the nation's most alluring woman. Lee is a graduate student majoring in kugak, or traditional Korean music, at the Seoul National University.
But the crown of a beauty queen aside, all 61 contestants successfully did their best to show what their charms were in the main event. Organized by the Hankook Ilbo and Sports Hankook, two sister newspapers of The Korea Times, the annual event was richer in programs to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Along with their physical charms, the sculpted beauties showed off their talents pleasing the jury and audiences with dances, songs or instrumental performances and a fashion show with clothes by the nation's top designer Andre Kim, who also served as a member of the jury. Other jury members include the first prize winner of the 2002 Miss Korea Kum Na-na, who made it to Harvard University, actor Cha In-pyo, who stars in recent film ``Hanbando'' and Nageshrao Parthasarathi, Indian ambassador to Seoul. The contestants are winners of this year's regional competitions, both at home and abroad. Among them, 16 are ethnic Koreans living in Korean communities in other countries such as the United States, China and Japan. To prepare for the two-hour show, the contestants had lived together at a camp in Kihung, Kyonggi Province, from July 9 for about a month.
Daily schedule was tight—waking up around 6 a.m. and going to bed around 2 a.m. every day. Days were full of various programs from make-up and hair classes to visiting institutes for the needy. The pageant is over. But people will soon see these talented young women demonstrating their talents in various fields. The top prize winners will represent the nation at various international beauty contests such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Asia-Pacific. Many will show up on television or the big screen as actresses, show hosts or fashion models, as the pageant is inarguably an opportunity for them to launch careers in the modeling or entertainment industries. Others will go back to their life and develop their profession by building on their talents with fun memories and a valuable experience in their heart. 08-03-2006 22:46 | | |||
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário