Miss Korea

Plot:  Miss Korea is a period production set during the IMF crisis in 1997. It follows the trials and tribulations of Oh Ji Young (Lee Yeon Hee) as she vies for the title (and tiara) of Miss Korea at the national beauty pageant. The story is made more complex with the introduction of an old flame (Lee Sun Kyun) that has his own agenda for persuading Oh Ji Young to pursue her dream of being crowned the winner of the pageant.

Good but slow.

Recommendation:  This series starts off strong but runs into some pacing issues after the first several episodes. Viewers with the patience to get through the less exciting episodes in the middle will be rewarded with a very satisfying conclusion at the end. This is a great dramatization of the pageant world and the lengths women will go to wear the crown. It won't make my top 10 list but I still recommend it for RomCom enthusiasts and fans of  Lee Sun Kyun, Lee Ki Woo, and Lee Yeon Hee.

Disturbing or cute?

Other Thoughts: I really wanted to like this one a lot. It had all the right ingredients for a great k-drama: wonderful casting, an interesting setting, and creative plot twists. But the show crept along so slowly that by the time the winner of the pageant was announced I was more interested in the romance between two of the supporting characters - Teacher Jung (Lee Sung Min) and Ko Hwa Jung (Song Seon Mi). I can't find any specific flaws with the acting or the story. It has more to do with the delivery.

My first introduction to Lee Yeon Hee, who played Oh Ji Young, was in the drama Paradise Ranch. I'll be honest and admit that I never finished watching that series because I found most of the characters inane and boring. It really wasn't a great display of her talent. Miss Korea, on the other hand, was a much better vehicle for her to show some range and I liked the sass that she brought to the character Oh Ji Young. The stylists also did a great job of making her look effortlessly gorgeous.

On a side note, Lee Ki Woo was once again cast as the guy that doesn't get the girl. He's got the acting chops to pull off a leading role and he is plenty good looking. So, why?! WHY?!! This is my earnest plea to Lee Ki Woo: Do not accept another role where your character is relegated to being the jerky a-hole that has no chance of winning the leading lady's heart!

I don't know why but I kept waiting for Kim Hyung Joon (Lee Sun Kyun) to stand outside Oh Ji Young's window with a boom box held up over his head ala Say Anything. Is it just me?