Currently Watching: Miss Korea

 

The Foundation (Background): 

MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday lineup brings us Miss Korea, a show about, you guessed it—beauty, beauty queens, and ViVi creams. However, don’t let that description stop you from picking up this drama because the phrase “beauty is only skin deep” does not apply here. 

Miss Korea’s initial setup sounds like a typical rom-com: Kim Hyung Joon’s (Lee Sung Gyun) company, ViVi Cosmetics, is in need of a serious financial makeover. They have a new product (I won’t reveal what it is) that Hyung Joon and his crew feel will make them go from floundering to flourishing. However, in the competitive cosmetics market, only those companies with the money, resources, and power can buy themselves advertisement, both in actual ads and in lip service. Throw in a bunch of gangsters after you for repayment and the IMF crisis, and well, you get the picture.

Hyung Joon needs a way out of this mess. How? Hyung Joon is struck with the idea of sponsoring a girl to become Miss Korea (and subsequently pay off his debts and gain an advertising spokesperson). To him, only one girl sticks in his mind for the task—Oh Ji Young (Lee Yeon Hee), the girl that he assures was “the prettiest girl during his school days.”

However, getting Ji Young to agree to such an endeavor; well, that’s another thing, especially considering her history with Hyung Joon and the fact that she’s trapped into her job as an elevator girl.
 




The Models (Characters): 
 

Kim Hyung Joon (Lee Sun Gyun) is the 30 year old president of ViVi Cosmetics, a company that Hyung Joon and his fellow classmates founded. He went to a prestigious university and was a very good student; however, his business is failing and he’s running out of options (and time). He goes to find Oh Ji Young because he wants to make her Miss Korea, collect the money, and save his company. Will feelings get in the way?


Oh Ji Young (Lee Yeon Hee) is a bubble-gum chewing firecracker who works as an elevator girl for a local department store. She lives with her dad (known as “Mom”), uncle, brother, and grandfather, who own a small shop. She hasn’t heard from Hyung Joon in 10 years; now at 27, she faces him again, and his deal is a juicy one. Will she become Miss Korea?

 

Jeong Seon Saeng (Lee Sung Min) never made it past middle school and is currently a member of the gang to which Hyung Joon owes a ton of money. He’s tasked with getting the money back, but will he be able to do it when he doesn’t exactly hate Hyung Joon?
 

Lee Yoon (Lee Ki Woo) is the former classmate of Hyung Joon who now manages investments in companies. He might be able to help Hyung Joon, but at what cost?

 

Go Hwa Jeong (Song Sun Mi) is the head of the research lab at ViVi Cosmetics. She has as much to lose if Hyung Joon can’t find a solution to the company’s money problems. She’s usually a nice person, but mess with her, Hyung Joon, or her product development, and a new side will come out.


 

Ma Ae Ri (Lee Mi Sook) is the current owner of Queen Beauty Salon, where she trains young ladies to be contestants for the Miss Korea competition. As the 1967 winner of Miss Korea, she knows the ins and outs of the pageant business. As a result, her girls have won several competitions. However, she’s out to regain the title that she lost to Cherry Beauty Salon (and its owner, Yang Choon Ja) last year. Ruthless on the outside, but understanding on the inside—that’s the best way to describe Manager Ma.


Concealers and Shadows (Why You Should Watch):

On its surface, Miss Korea seems like a show about becoming a beauty queen and saving a cosmetics company. While it certainly is that, Miss Korea contains many concealers and shadows on its characters which bring them to life. Within the drama, each character demonstrates that the surface is only the beginning; for example, a girl who the whole world counts as pretty because of her face and body struggles with how she looks in light of others. 

Furthermore, Miss Korea often uses shadow with its characters. What I mean by this is that the color grey is the best color to describe the majority of the intentions expressed by Miss Korea’s characters. These characters are neither good, nor evil, which I believe is this show’s strong point. 
 

Yet, Miss Korea isn’t always cutthroat competition or ruthless scheming; it’s funny as well. Naturally, mishaps occur along one’s quest to achieve anything, and Miss Korea provides the funny in these types of interactions. The humor may not be outright slapstick, but I like the sarcasm that some of the characters employ.
 


Trailer:




Because of its humor and heart, its shadows and concealers, Miss Korea is a must watch! Currently, the show has aired 15 episodes of its 20 episode run. Start catching up now and you might just end up with the sash.