Over 1,430 apply as contest marks its 5th year

Running business owner An Jeong-eun takes top prize

Winners to appear in TV ads, digital content from 2027

The final round of the 2027 Noran Usan Promotional Model Selection Contest is held at Sungam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. [Korea Federation of SMEs]
The final round of the 2027 Noran Usan Promotional Model Selection Contest is held at Sungam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. [Korea Federation of SMEs]

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced Friday that 20 finalists had been selected from a field of more than 1,430 applicants — a competition ratio exceeding 71 to 1 — at the 2027 Noran Usan Promotional Model Selection Contest.

The federation held the final round Thursday at Sungam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Of the more than 1,430 who applied, about 40 advanced to the final stage after passing a document screening and camera test.

The Noran Usan Promotional Model Selection Contest, which launched in 2022, is now in its fifth year. The event is distinctive in that small-business owners and self-employed workers serve as the promotional models themselves. The contest has produced a cumulative total of 100 promotional models through this year's edition.

This year's applicants came from a wide range of backgrounds — restaurant, cafe and flower shop owners, as well as freelancers such as broadcast writers, YouTubers and opera singers, and workers in furniture manufacturing and agriculture.

In the final round, participants introduced their personal experiences under the theme "To me, Noran Usan is ___." Contestants described the program as "hope that lets me get back on my feet," "a sturdy shelter from the storm" and "a lifelong guardian of my retirement." They then showcased a variety of talents, including singing, dancing, acting, instrumental music, impressions and circus acts.

Judges selected a total of 20 winners: one grand prize, two gold prizes, three silver prizes, four bronze prizes and 10 merit awards. The grand prize went to An Jeong-eun, chief executive of Runnerful, a running-related business.

"There were many moments when I wanted to stop — both while running and while running a business — but each time I learned how to get back up," An said in acceptance remarks. "I will keep running hard alongside Noran Usan."

The contest differs from a conventional advertising model search in that actual Noran Usan subscribers share their own business experiences and thoughts about the program directly. Because participants come from a wide range of industries, their firsthand experiences from their own workplaces can be reflected in promotional content.

The 20 winners will serve as Noran Usan promotional models starting in 2027, appearing across a range of channels including TV commercials, print advertisements and digital content.

Oh Gi-woong, standing vice chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs, said the contest is "a meaningful occasion for subscribers to spread the value of Noran Usan themselves." Oh added that the federation would work with the newly selected faces "to deliver warmer comfort and a message of solid hope to small businesses and self-employed workers."


boo@heraldcorp.com