"People here says I'm 'beautiful' or 'perfect.' I never thought so in Korea. All the praise makes me feel I'm pretty..." The speaker was the winner of the Ford Supermodel of the World contest Kang Seung-hyun (21), a freshman in the modeling department at Dongduk Women's University.
Kang is the first Asian winner in the contest's 25-year history. She competed against contestants from some 50 countries. Calling her the "pearl of the Orient," the U.S. media praised her looks and walk as the best.
Kang won US$250,000 in prize money and signed a three-year contract with Ford Models, one of the top modeling agencies in the U.S. Celebrities such as Brooke Shields, Kim Basinger and Christy Turlington were past contestants, while supermodels Chanel Iman and Du Juan work under Ford. "The prize money is a hefty sum so I'll pass it on to my parents," Kang told the Chosun Ilbo by phone. "But I heard the deposit actually comes a year later."
She has moved into an exclusive apartment for models provided by Ford. Next month she will participate in the New York Fashion Week and also in shows in Milan and Paris. "I'd love to do a show for Custom National, my favorite brand," she says. "Taking part in the top rate luxury brand shows is of course a dream for any model."
With a height 178 cm and weighing 51 kg, she has long slim limbs and wide narrow eyes. Her favorite food is pork ribs or samgyeobsal. "I eat them at least three times a week. I never starve but I exercise. Preparing to be picked as the Korean representative for the Ford contest in September, I walked for hours along the Han River in the summer wearing a winter jumper. I lost 5 kg in two months."
She also studied English very hard for three months. "I didn't want to be neglected as an Asian, so I always talked to other girls during the competition. I became really close with several of them. We cried after the finale."
Kang has chubby cheeks, but she laughs them off saying "They bother me a little, but they’re mine to keep." She vowed to do her best for other Koreans to follow in her footsteps. The interview ended at 11 p.m., New York time. Her hectic schedule freed her only then to have dinner. Her last words were, "I'm craving gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)."
