Miss Finland Sara Zafche was stripped of her Miss Finland title after a racism controversy.
On the 15th, foreign media including the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that on the 11th the Miss Finland organizing committee stripped Zafche of her Miss Finland title and crown.
The Miss Finland organizing committee then apologized, saying, "Racism will not be tolerated in any form."
At the end of last month, a photo Zafche posted on her social media (SNS) with the caption "having a meal with a Chinese person" sparked the incident. In the photo, Zafche was pulling her eyes back with her fingers.
The controversy grew after Zafche's explanation. As criticism mounted that the photo mocked Asians, Zafche said she "was massaging her temples because of a severe headache."
Public opinion deteriorated rapidly after even a video was released of Zafche in Finnair business class saying, "People criticize me, but I am in business class."
The Miss Finland organizing committee, which had previously said it had no plans to strip the crown, explained at a recent press conference that "the decision was heavy but unavoidable."
The crown went to Tara Letonen, who finished second in the competition. Letonen, from Helsinki, vowed, "I will accept the title of Miss Finland with pride and deep respect."