2025 Miss Korea winner Jeong Yeon-woo voiced her beliefs about the controversies over plastic surgery directed at Miss Korea contestants.
On the 27th Jeong Yeon-woo left a lengthy post on her personal social media answering netizens' questions such as "Did you not have surgery?" and "Are you a natural beauty?" by herself.
Jeong Yeon-woo opened by saying, "I think the thing I've heard most while doing Miss Korea is stories related to plastic surgery. I thought it wasn't even worth answering, so I did not give a direct response, but because I have watched not only myself but also my beloved colleagues be hurt by such rude and worthless words, I cautiously bring up the topic."
She continued, honestly revealing that she had not had plastic surgery but had undergone several procedures, and asked, "I'm more curious why people are so interested in whether someone else had plastic surgery. If someone is a natural beauty does their value go up, and if not does it go down?" She added, "A person's value is not something someone can casually assign, and it is even less determined by appearance. Miss Korea is not a contest judged solely on appearance."
At the 70th Miss Korea pageant, former basketball player Woo Ji-won's daughter Woo Seo-yoon won the crown, but shortly after the reveal she became embroiled in a plastic surgery controversy as past broadcast appearances were reexamined on some online communities. Voices criticizing the comparison between her appearance on the tvN show 'Escape the Nest 3' at age 16 and her current striking features clashed fiercely with sympathetic views that it is excessive to summon someone's childhood and judge them harshly simply because they are a famous person's family.
- Full text of Jeong Yeon-woo's SNS post.
I think the thing I have heard most while doing Miss Korea is stories related to plastic surgery. In fact, I thought it wasn't even worth answering, so I never offered an explanation or direct response, but because I have repeatedly watched not only myself but also the colleagues I love be easily hurt by such rude and worthless remarks, this time I will cautiously try to speak up.
Honestly, I am reluctant, but before giving my opinion I should answer the question so my intent is not distorted: I did not have plastic surgery, but I have had several procedures. It may not be the answer you wanted to hear. If you don't want to believe it, you may do so; I don't particularly mind.
I am more curious why people are so interested in whether someone else had plastic surgery. If someone is a natural beauty does their value go up, and if not does it go down? A person's value is not something someone can casually assign, and it is even less determined by appearance. Moreover, why is the question of whether someone had plastic surgery so important?
Because Miss Korea is inevitably a contest that evaluates people, I think focus on appearance is an unavoidable area. However, what many people misunderstand is that Miss Korea is not a contest judged only on appearance. We go through a variety of evaluations suited to the contest theme, including private one-on-one interviews, current affairs-related presentations, self-introductions, talent performances, and more before taking the stage. The reality that questions about plastic surgery become the biggest controversy every year makes it feel as if the efforts of the contestants and the essence of the pageant are being belittled, which is bitter.
People who pick apart others' faces one by one to wonder what has changed, people who are sure someone had plastic surgery without even trying to examine carefully, people who act rudely toward others trapped in narrow thinking, and people who do not feel ashamed about that. I only feel sorry for the view of those who cannot see others any other way. If you learn something you did not see before, you realize that everything that was trapped in your view was not important at all. I sincerely hope you become like that.
[Photo] Provided by Global E&B, Woo Seo-yoon SNS
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