Marking the grand finale of the 39th Annual Los Angeles Korean Festival, the 2012 Radiokorea Hi-teen Korean Beauty Pageant successfully showcased its seven final contestants. All equipped with each of their individually distinct characteristics and talents, these seven contestants attracted the attention of everyone attending the festival.
The theme of this year’s festival being, ‘A New Challenge to the World – Korean Wave!’ people of various ethnicities all joined in on watching this event. The Miss Hi-teen participants displayed their K-POP dancing and singing talents, the traditional Korean dancing, and gift in carrying out confident interviews and giving speeches.
The seven contestants had been taking hundreds of hours outside of their role as a student to train themselves in various areas, including but not limited to: dancing, singing, playing instruments, giving speeches, and carrying out interviews successfully. Although hard work was demanded upon them and keeping up with both schoolwork and training was excruciatingly harsh, all of the contestants successfully presented their inner and outer shades of beauty at the event.
Se A Kim, this year’s Miss High teen, expressed her gratitude and excitement as she was announced as ‘Jin’ (first place in a beauty pageant) at the conclusion of the competition.
“I just want to thank my mom, […] we live one hour away from here, but she always supported me and drove me all the way here every day. I’m really thankful for having a mom like her and having such a supportive family. ”
In addition to the trophies, crowns, and certificates the seven contestants received, she won flight tickets for a round trip to Korea.
Audiences remarked that it was “definitely a chance to remind ourselves of these wonderfully talented teens with great potential at promoting the beauty of Korea to the world.”
As a special guest, ‘little Psy,’ Minwoo Hwang, who starred in the music video of South Korean rapper Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style,’ performed on stage in his trademark suit.
