500 models from 35 countries to compete in Seoul's 'model Olympics' next month

Five hundred models selected from 35 countries will gather in Seoul next month to compete in fashion, advertising and beauty — an event its organizers are billing as a "model Olympics" in which participants compete as national team athletes rather than simply walk a runway.

The Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee announced Thursday that Seoul Model Festival 2026 will be held at Gwanghwamun Square and Gocheok Sky Dome from Nov. 23 to 25.

Held under the theme "Models Wearing the Beauty, Fashion and Art Industry," the festival will draw participants selected from 50 cities across 35 countries. The Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee is the host, with the Korea Makeup Professional Job Exchange Association and the Korea Model Association serving as co-organizers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a sponsor.

The event's defining concept is treating models as competitors rather than performers. Organizers describe it as the world's first Olympics-style model competition spanning fashion, advertising and beauty.

Participants will be judged on walking, posing, expressiveness, creativity and teamwork. Fashion competitions will include individual creative modeling, pairs and group events.

The advertising category will feature product modeling — in which contestants convey a product or brand's qualities through facial expression and movement — along with a kids and junior division. In the beauty category, makeup artists, hairstylists and nail artists will team up with models to showcase technical skill and creativity.

The opening ceremony on Nov. 23 will take place at Gwanghwamun Square, centered on an outdoor stage in front of the statue of King Sejong, where models from each country will appear in their national traditional dress. A large-scale traditional costume parade connecting the central steps of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts to Gwanghwamun Square is also planned.

Performances reinterpreting Korean traditional culture through a contemporary lens will also be on offer. Highlights include a beauty gala show inspired by the film "The King's Warden" and a body-painting performance drawing on the musical "The Last Empress." A fashion show titled "HERITAGE RE" will reimagine cultural heritage from various countries through modern fashion.

From Nov. 24, the venue shifts to Gocheok Sky Dome. That day's program will include model competitions, fashion shows by domestic and international designers, and industry networking sessions. The final day, Nov. 25, will feature beauty competitions in makeup, hair and nail artistry, followed by an awards ceremony and closing event.

Judging will be conducted by domestic and international specialists in each category, who will assess technical skill, expressiveness, creativity and overall presentation. Members of the public will also be able to vote for a "People's Choice Award" via QR code.

Organizers expect around 2,000 participants in total, including the 500 models as well as designers, beauty artists and representatives from fashion and beauty companies. Programs linking overseas participants to tourism, shopping, and K-fashion and K-beauty experiences are also being developed.

The festival builds on the international network of the Asia Model Festival, which marks its 21st edition this year. Organizers plan to expand the exchange infrastructure built through programs such as "Face of Asia," "Asia Open Collection" and "Asia Model Awards" — all focused on discovering rookie models — into a global-scale model competition.

Yang Eui-sik, chairman of the Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee, said Seoul Model Festival is "not just an event for models, but a new international cultural exchange platform where fashion, beauty, art, tourism and industry grow together around models." He added that the goal is to "create a structure in which national team models from around the world compete and connect in Seoul, then carry the culture and content they experience here back to their own countries and the world — contributing to Seoul's emergence as a global hub for the fashion and beauty culture industry."