By Hyun Ji-hyang





Kim Joo-ri, a-21-year-old Bolshoi Ballet School graduate, won the honor of being crowned the country`s beauty queen for this year held at the Sejong Center in downtown Seoul on Wednesday..



"I thank all the people who helped me to get here. I am so happy and will work hard to maintain this honor," Kim said after winning the title of the 53rd Miss Korea Beauty Pageant.



This year`s Miss Korea graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet School in Russia. Kim is known to be fluent in Russia and English, and enjoys many sports including, golf, horseback riding, swimming, and jazz dance. In May, she was selected as Miss Seoul to become the qualifier for the nationwide beauty contest.



The first runner-up place went to Cha Ye-lin,22, who attends Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Seo Eun-mi,21, a student majoring in painting at Yeungnam University.



For the competition, 56 contestants hailed from various cities here and overseas including New York, Los Angeles, Japan, and Washington, D.C. The candidates heated up the stage by performing various group and individual performances including dancing to `One Night Only` from the musical Dreamgirls and modelling in a Hanbok fashion show.



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Former Miss Korea, actor Son Tae-young and VJ Lee Ki-sang hosted the beauty pageant. An idol group SHINee and R&B band SG Wannabe performed to celebrate the event.



Miss Korea and the six runner-ups will represent beauty delegations of Korea and participate in international contests and volunteer work.



(jenellehyun@gmail.com)