Choi Soon Hwa, an 80 years old South Korean, surprised the world by making it to the finals of the national selection for the “Miss Universe” contest, daily.afisha.ru reports with reference to CNN.

On September 30, Choi will compete with other contestants for the right to represent Korea at the international stage of “Miss Universe 2024” in Mexico. Previously, the pageant limited the age of contestants to 18-28 years old, but from 2024 the upper limit was abolished.

“I want to shock the world: ‘How can an 80-year-old woman be so healthy? How does she maintain such a body? What is her diet like?’ As you age, you gain weight… So, I want to show that we can live a healthy life even as we age”, - Choi shared in an interview.

Despite criticism of Korean beauty pageants for promoting uniform beauty standards and the prevalence of plastic surgery, Choi is philosophical: “It's hard to find people who haven't had any cosmetic procedures. It's time to accept it”.

Choi's modeling career began at age 72. Having made her debut at Seoul Fashion Week at age 74, she has since appeared in Korean editions of Harper's Bazaar and Elle, as well as in advertising campaigns.

Although some national “Miss Universe” pageants have begun to accept older contestants, such as 58 years old Lorraine Peters in Canada and 60 years old Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez in Argentina, none have reached the finals.