70th Miss Korea Crowns Woo Seo-yoon as Jeon Su-wan Falls Short in Star-Daughter Finals

Jeon Su-wan did not take home a crown at the 70th Miss Korea pageant, held on August 22 at COEX Auditorium in Gangnam, Seoul. Her loss came with a particular footnote: the woman who claimed the top honor, Jin (眞) winner Woo Seo-yoon, is the daughter of former professional basketball player Woo Ji-won, while Su-wan is the daughter of fellow former basketball player Jeon Hee-chul, now head coach of the Seoul SK Knights.

The two young women had been on a quiet collision course throughout the competition. Su-wan had qualified for the national final after placing in the Mi (美) category at the 2026 Miss Seoul Gyeonggi Incheon regional pageant, one of eight qualifying rounds that together produced the 26 finalists who advanced to the main stage. Woo Seo-yoon traveled the same regional route and ultimately outpaced the entire field.

How the final standings fell

This year's pageant awarded its three traditional titles to different contestants. Woo Seo-yoon took Jin, the highest designation. Sun (善) went to Oh Su-min, and Mi (美) to Lee Min-sol. Su-wan did not place in any of the three categories.

Su-wan had expressed measured gratitude after her regional win earlier this year. In a statement following her Mi title at the Seoul Gyeonggi Incheon event, she thanked organizers Global E&B and the Hankook Ilbo, the pageant's institutional sponsors, as well as the judging panel, and said she intended to keep moving forward with full effort at each step.

A familiar face from television

For many viewers, Su-wan was already a recognizable figure before the pageant. She appeared on tvN STORY's Nae Saekkiui Yeonae (My Child's Romance), a celebrity-family dating program, and became one of the show's final couples alongside Lee Tak-su, son of actor Lee Jong-hyuk.

Her presence at Miss Korea, then, was part of a broader arc: building a public profile through multiple platforms rather than a single appearance. Whether the pageant result changes that trajectory is an open question, but the regional title she earned earlier this year remains on her record regardless.