Woo Ji-won's daughter Woo Seo-yoon appeared on tvN's "Dungji Talchul 3" ("Escape the Nest 3") in 2018 at age 16 (left), and appears in a recent photo (right). (tvN, Woo Seo-yoon's social media)
Woo Ji-won's daughter Woo Seo-yoon appeared on tvN's "Dungji Talchul 3" ("Escape the Nest 3") in 2018 at age 16 (left), and appears in a recent photo (right). (tvN, Woo Seo-yoon's social media)

Woo Ji-won, a former national team basketball player, and his eldest daughter, Woo Seo-yoon (22), recently crowned 2026 Miss Korea Jin, gave their first interview since her win. They shared their feelings about the crowning, but amid allegations that Woo Seo-yoon underwent plastic surgery, the two offered no direct explanation regarding the controversy.

Woo Seo-yoon and Woo Ji-won appeared on SBS's "Morning Wide" on Monday.

Woo Ji-won introduced himself, saying, "I am Woo Ji-won, a former national team basketball player, and now also the father of Woo Seo-yoon, the 2026 Miss Korea Jin."

Woo Ji-won recalled the moment, saying, "When Seo-yoon's name was called, I felt a thrill and it was so touching. Just like when I made a game-winning three-pointer, I burst out shouting on the spot, and my teammates standing next to me were startled."

Woo Seo-yoon said, "Even at the moment my name was called, it did not feel real. To be honest, not just when I was young but even before I started preparing for the Miss Korea pageant, my height was my biggest insecurity, so I often said, 'It's because of Dad that I got this tall.'"

In response, Woo Ji-won laughed and said, "When someone asks, I cannot bring up Seo-yoon's height. I have to watch myself." Woo Seo-yoon said, "In practice, while preparing for the Miss Korea pageant, I wore really high heels and realized being tall is actually a big advantage. So I felt bad about it until now, and thank you for passing down your height," expressing her gratitude to her father.

Woo Ji-won stands 193 centimeters tall, while his daughter Woo Seo-yoon is 175 centimeters.

As Woo Ji-won's eyes welled up at his daughter's words of thanks, the show aired a video of him holding Woo Seo-yoon just after she was born.

Woo Ji-won said, "Isn't that the day we first met in this world? It is a day I cannot forget. She has grown up so well," adding, "I have been busy since she became Miss Korea Jin. There were times when her replies took more than a day, and even times when a whole day passed without one."

Watching the video, Woo Seo-yoon appeared moved, saying, "This is the first time I'm seeing this."

Meanwhile, Woo Seo-yoon, born in 2003, won the top honor of Miss Korea Jin among 26 finalists at the 70th Miss Korea pageant finals held on Aug. 22.

However, after the news broke, footage of her appearance on the tvN variety show "Dungji Talchul 3" ("Escape the Nest 3") at age 16 resurfaced, sparking allegations of plastic surgery. Woo Seo-yoon has not issued any statement addressing the allegations.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com