The plastic surgery controversy surrounding the Miss Korea pageant has once again become a hot issue. Jeong Yeon-woo, Miss Korea 2025, recently spoke out on the controversy with a candid statement, but netizens' heated arguments intensified and the debate even expanded to questioning the very existence of beauty pageants.
At the 70th Miss Korea pageant, Woo Seo-yoon, the daughter of former basketball player Woo Ji-won, was crowned Miss Korea, but posts comparing her appearance from past TV appearances to her current facial features appeared mainly on online communities, sparking a plastic surgery controversy. Some expressed regret that she was being judged harshly because she is a celebrity's child, while others argued that scrutiny of appearance is inevitable.
In response, Miss Korea 2025 Jeong Yeon-woo posted on her personal social media on the 27th, "I haven't had plastic surgery, but I have had several procedures," and expressed displeasure at excessive scrutiny toward contestants, saying, "Does a natural beauty have more value and a non-natural beauty less? A person's value is not determined by appearance, and Miss Korea is not a contest judged solely on looks."
But after Jeong Yeon-woo's clarification, public opinion ignited around online communities such as Theqoo. Netizens' reactions are sharply divided.
Some netizens questioned the contradiction, saying, "They claim it's not all about appearance, but you're participating in a contest where appearance is the main evaluation, so saying 'value isn't determined by appearance' is contradictory," "Unless it's a contest to see which surgeon performs the best, whether someone had plastic surgery matters," "Isn't it true that natural beauties tend to be valued more in beauty pageants?" and "a contest that encourages plastic surgery through appearance worship," raising doubts about the fundamental limits and raison d'être of the Miss Korea pageant. Some even reacted strongly, saying, "If that's the case, the contest should be abolished."
Other netizens defended Jeong Yeon-woo, saying, "Miss Korea evaluates character, intelligence and physical fitness as well as appearance," "Bringing up childhood photos to excessively criticize is just baseless bashing," "Regardless of plastic surgery, it's right to evaluate the current appearance and abilities," and "The contest isn't called the natural beauty pageant, so what does it matter," warning against excessive witch hunts.
What began as a simple explanation of an individual's plastic surgery status has touched on the inherent contradictions of beauty pageants and their value in modern society, drawing intense public interest day after day.
[Photo] Provided by Global E&B, Woo Seo-yoon SNS
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