Basketball legends’ daughters face off at Miss Korea pageant

The daughters of two Korean basketball legends are set to continue their fathers’ long-running rivalry — this time on the Miss Korea stage.

Jeon Su-wan, 22, the eldest daughter of Jeon Hee-chul, head coach of the Seoul SK Knights, and Woo Seo-yoon, 23, daughter of former professional basketball player Woo Ji-won, have both entered the 70th Miss Korea Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon regional competition.

The two contestants previously appeared on Seasons 1 and 2 of the tvN STORY reality show “When Our Kids Fall in Love,” where they gained attention for their looks and distinct personalities.

Although they appeared in different seasons, the pair already drew public interest as daughters of famous basketball stars. Their fathers, Jeon and Woo, were longtime friends and rivals who attended Samseon Middle School and Kyungbock High School together before later playing for Korea University and Yonsei University, respectively.

The two became major stars during the golden era of Korean college basketball, attracting large fan followings. After the launch of the Korean professional basketball league, they continued their careers as some of the sport’s most recognizable players.

Following retirement, however, the two took different paths. Jeon moved into coaching after serving in the SK front office and coaching staff, later leading the team to a combined championship title in the 2021-22 season.

Woo expanded into entertainment and theater as he continues his acting career.

Though the decades-long on-court rivalry between the two close friends has ended, their daughters are now drawing attention as they carry on the competition.

Standing at 175 centimeters tall and inheriting athletic builds and healthy images from their fathers, Jeon and Woo are expected to compete fiercely on the beauty pageant stage. Both are also attracting attention for their youthful charm as university students.

Jeon is majoring in Korean dance at Sejong University, while Woo is studying fine arts at Tufts University in the United States.

Attention is growing over what kind of performances the two contestants will show on the Miss Korea stage after inheriting the passion and competitive spirit of their basketball star fathers.

Miss Korea, which held its inaugural competition in 1957, marks its 70th anniversary this year. The pageant has evolved beyond a simple beauty contest into an event aimed at selecting women with intelligence, character and physical presence.

The Miss Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon regional preliminary contest featuring Jeon and Woo will take place on May 27, while the national finals are scheduled for Aug. 22.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.