Miss Korea winner Woo Seo-yun, daughter of basketball star, speaks out on plastic surgery allegations

Woo Seo-yun (22), daughter of former basketball player Woo Ji-won, who was widely known for his good looks, has spoken about her feelings and ambitions following her selection as Miss Korea Jin.

Woo was crowned Jin at the 70th Miss Korea pageant on Aug. 22 and recently sat down with the Hankook Ilbo to discuss her reaction to the win and her plans going forward.

"I never expected to receive this much attention," she said. "When I open my social media, there is so much news in front of me. The weight on my shoulders keeps growing. I will show everyone a good side of myself that lives up to the attention you have given me."

After Woo was named Miss Korea Jin, speculation spread online that she had undergone plastic surgery, with many noting that her appearance had changed significantly from when she appeared on television as a child.

Without directly addressing whether she had had any procedures, Woo said, "Among the things being said amid all this attention, some words do hurt, but I try not to let myself be hurt by them." She added, "I hope I will have the chance to show everyone my true self going forward."

"I actually wanted to stand on the Miss Korea stage, but I thought it did not suit me," Woo said. "Given my image and the fact that I had been doing sports, it did not feel like a place for me. But when I looked into it, I found that Miss Korea is a competition that values each person's story and individuality over outward appearance."

"My height had honestly been a source of insecurity my whole life, but by taking on Miss Korea, what had been a weakness became a strength," she said. "It was not just my height — many things were like that. Going through the competition gave me confidence, and I experienced my weaknesses turning into strengths."

Woo described her greatest charm as her "unexpected personality," saying, "I was not able to show it on stage, but during the judging process I had one-on-one conversations with each of the judges, and I think they may have found my personality better than they expected."

Woo also expressed a desire to use her platform to address social issues. "I have had a strong interest in social issues since I was young. I have run donation campaigns and taken part in many different activities, so I want to show my influence in that area," she said. "I want to use the attention I have received to raise my voice and draw more attention to a wider range of issues."

Woo is currently majoring in fine arts at Tufts University in the United States. She first became known to the public as a child through appearances on television programs including SBS's "Star Junior Show Bungeo-ppang" and tvN's "Dungji Talchul 3."