MBC ESPN, a local cable sports network, will air the Mr. World Korea 2009 gala Friday, which was held in Songdo, Incheon Nov. 7 to pick the nation's most attractive and desirable men.
It will broadcast the competition in a variety show format for two hours from 11 p.m., the Mr. World Korea organizing body said, Wednesday.
Popular K-pop singers and entertainers, including Ivy and FT Island, spruced up the competition to pick five Korean contestants for the Mr. World 2010 Contest, drawing enthusiastic reactions from the audience at the Songdo ConvensiA earlier this month.
Twenty contestants competed for the final five spots and Ryu Ji-kwang, 24, a freshman at Hansei University majoring in theology, claimed the Grand Prize. The winners will compete with international peers from 80 nations in the final of the Mr. World contest to be held in Seoul, Incheon and Jeju in March, 2010.
The five winners have been selected through various programs, including a fashion show, talent show, interviews and a special dance performance.
Four other winners also achieved a ticket to the final round of Mr. World. Yonsei University student Park Hyun-woo, 27, won the Gold Award, 31-year-old Choi Jae-ung from Aukland University of Technology won Silver, Kim Hyun-jong, 22, a Korea University student, received the Talent Award, while 27-year-old Shim Kyu-gong won the Top Model Award.
The Mr. World contest is not just about finding the most handsome or muscular man in the world, but a truly modern, all-around man. Contestants will undergo a series of events that test their strength, originality, performance, leadership, fellowship and team spirit over two weeks.
First held in 1996, Mr. World is a biennial competition where the main goal is to discover a ``James Bond-style'' contender who represents creativity, leadership and endurance. The Hankook Ilbo-The Korea Times media group and the Miss World Organization will co-host the event. For more information, visit www.mrworld.co.kr.