MANILA, Philippines — After 22 years, South Korea has finally captured the Miss Earth crown at its 22nd edition, held on Tuesday, November 29th, in Okada, Cove Manila.
Eighty-six (86) beauties from across the world competed on stage after the pageant was held virtually for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
24-year-old, communication student Mina Sue Choi from South Korea won the title together with her elemental court, Miss Fire Andrea Aguilera from Colombia, Miss Water Nadeen Ayoub from Palestine, and Taylor Swift lookalike Sheridan Mortlock from Australia.
Jenny Ramp, the Philippines’ bet, made it to the top 20 of the competition. She also received the “Best in Fauna Costume” award for Asia and Oceania
In a media interview right after the pageant, Mina shared that she wasn’t feeling well all day due to gastritis, but she still pursued joining the coronation night.
“It’s absolutely an honor to represent Korea, to be a proud Korean, and at the same time, to be a pageant winner like this, it’s my first time, and I never felt this happy.”
Miss EARTH 2022 MINA SUE CHOI
“Since yesterday, I was vomiting all over the place, and I thought I wouldn’t make it on the competition, but I really tested myself, it would really push my limits by being on the competition today, so I thought I really deserved the celebration,” she said.
Mina not only wowed the judges with her flawless performances in the swimsuit and evening gown categories, but also with her answer to the question and answer round.
Question: “What is one thing that you want to correct in this world and how would you correct it?”
Mina’s answer: “If there’s something I would correct in this world it would be being empathetic. We often mistake kindness as being empathetic but what being empathetic is putting yourself into someone else’s shoes and when it comes to climate issues and other issues in this world one has to be empathetic. You really need to see how the other person perceives this world, you need to understand their pain by being in their shoes and that, like I feel like the first with being empathetic, kindness and empathetic can be different.”
The Miss Earth winners will spend the next few months advocating for Miss Earth’s cause, which is the preservation of the planet’s natural resources.
The Miss Earth Organization is also preparing for the 2023 edition, which will be hosted in Vietnam.