South African Ambassador Stefanus J. Schoeman |
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
South Africa, a country on the southern tip of Africa, has many stories to tell about Miss World, one of the most internationally recognized beauty pageants.
The African country is to host Miss World 2008, which will take place on Dec. 13. This marks the 5th time that South Africa will host the almost 60-year-old pageant.
The beauty pageant has played a positive role in South African history.
When it first hosted the event in 1992, it was a proclamation of change. Up until that point the country had been undergoing political turmoil, which stained the image of the country in the international community.
With Miss World, the international outcast opened itself up to the world, showing that the country was on the verge of change.
Now it is almost 15 years since South Africa first hosted Miss World, and Korea is looking at doing the same in 2009.
Led by Chang Jae-ku, chairman of the Hankook Ilbo and The Korea Times, a committee for Miss World in Korea has endeavored to host the pageant next year.
As an advisor to the committee, South African Ambassador Stefanus J. Schoeman shared the story of South Africa as host of five Miss World contests.
``Miss World has really put the country on the map,'' it was the ambassador's first statement on South Africa's experience. ``If the organization gives an offer, we'd like to host it every year,'' he continued.
He said it's because of various positive impacts.
Beauty With Purpose
Beauty with purpose is one reason.
``It is no longer just about a beautiful body,'' Ambassador Schoeman said.
``Now the world needs hope,'' and the Miss World Organization and winners themselves are messengers to bring peace and hope in the world, he said.
He admitted the pageant used to gear toward promoting business. Yet a new era, begun with new chairman Julia Morley's arrival in 2000, shifted its focus onto charity work and similar purposes.
One example is the Miss World Organization's cooperation with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in which money is donated to the foundation to enhance the lives of displaced children in Africa.
Globally, more than $400 million is spent helping the less privileged, the ambassador said.
He pointed out that if Korea gets to host the pageant, it couldn't serve better the purpose of promoting hope and peace.
The committee, established last year, has an ambitious plan: to get North Korea involved in Miss World in (South) Korea.
Jenny Thorn, a Miss World Korea representative, said the committee has in mind a plan to host a fashion show in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the sidelines of the main final show, which would be a tremendously influential window for North Koreans to see the world and vice versa.
``We can promote North Korea to the world. And who knows? We might start Miss North Korea?" Thorn said.
The ambassador agreed. ``It will build a bridge in creating better atmosphere between South and North Korea.
Country Promotion
The ambassador said hosting Miss World is one of the best ways to promote the country.
Companies and countries compete and pay millions of dollars to buy a 30-second advertisement. Yet, as the Miss World host, `` you get a two-hour free advertisement on your country broadcast worldwide. That is the most wonderful opportunity,'' he said.
After hosting the event five times, South Africa has already witnessed the benefits of having the competition.
Participants traveled the country during their one-month preparation, interacting with all different kinds of people ― ranging from high-ranking officials to ordinary people. That opened the eyes of both the participants and people of the hosting country, Schoeman said.
In addition, video clips of South African beaches, golf courses, beautiful cities, monuments, food and people run through the entire show on the final day. And it was televised live to more than 200 countries and millions of viewers, catching people's eyes and encouraging people to visit the country.
Anticipation this year is especially high, as South Africa will host the World Cup in 2010.
The original host was Ukraine. However, for security reasons after Russia's invasion of Georgia, the organization asked South Africa to take the baton, and it took the opportunity gladly, the ambassador said.
He encouraged Korea to take the chance to put itself more visibly on the international tourism map.
``I traveled for three years to Jeju Island, Busan, Mount Seorak in Gangwon Province, etc. There are so many beautiful things. It's not just well publicized,'' he said.
The ambassador's theory on anti-beauty pageants is simple.
Traditional claims of beauty pageants commercializing beauty are ``no longer valid,'' he said.
The negative notion of the beauty pageant sprang from the initial bikini contest, and the bikini part of the beauty contest has been dropped from the televised Miss World final contest, he added.
Recalling his personal encounter with one of the beauty queens, the ambassador hailed Miss Worlds. ``They are beautiful with good personalities. And they are intelligent,'' he said.
skim@koreatimes.co.kr
 Miss World vs. Miss Universe
Miss World and Miss Universe are the most publicized annual beauty and talent contests.
Miss World was founded in 1951, while the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952.
The founder of Miss Universe was California clothing company Pacific Mill, but it is now run by Donald Trump, the American business magnate. The founder of Miss World was Eric Morley from Britain.
The current Miss Universe is Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela; and the current Miss World is Zhang Zilin from China.
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 Chairwoman of Miss World
The current chairwoman is Julia Morley, wife of Eric Morley, founder of the Miss World beauty pageant. He was born in 1918 in London.
Morley started his career in the entertainment business in 1945, and in the course of his career came up with Miss World. It was in 1951 that the first beauty pageant was held. It was first televised in 1959.
Eric married Julia in 1960. In 1968, she took over beauty pageant operations, and with his death in 2000, replaced her husband as chairperson of the pageant.
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
