By Well the Miss Asia Pacific World pageant apparently hasn’t made too good of an impression with its contestants:
Contestants of an international beauty pageant hosted by Korea were sexually harassed and offered places in the competition in exchange for sex, contestants claim.
Amy Willerton (19), who competed in the 2011 Miss Asia Pacific World in Korea from Oct. 1 to 15, was quoted by the Sun on Wednesday as saying, “I had two of the organisers sexually assault me — one tried to pull my top down.”
“Girls were pulled aside and told they knew what they had to do if they wanted to win — we all knew they meant sex,” Willerton said.
About 50 contestants participated in the pageant, the first of its kind, in Seoul, Daegu and Busan between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15. The top prize was US$20,000.
Contestants were put in a hotel without enough beds and fed just one meal per day, Willerton said. An optional “talent round” was won by Miss Venezuela, who had not even entered that section of the competition.
Willerton said she reported the sexual harassment to police but the organizers bribed them before her eyes. “When the police arrived they called in one of the chairmen of the pageant who actually got his wallet out straight away and we were all pushed back by the organisers so we couldn’t speak,” she told the BBC. “Our translator would not translate for us, so we were completely helpless.” [Chosun Ilbo]
You can read more at the link.
She hasn’t seen...
11:08 am on October 25th, 2011 1
Oh I cant believe a first rate nation like Korea would treat its contestants like this. You all need to get out more
11:59 am on October 25th, 2011 2
I’m a man myself but I do recognize and abhor many of this country’s men’s perpetual habit of treating women like play things.
4:12 pm on October 25th, 2011 3
Taking the male member out of the picture for a moment, I wonder if there has ever been a fair contest in S. Korea? On the other hand, I suppose the male member somehow gets involved in little elementary English speaking contests.
4:42 pm on October 25th, 2011 4
I said before, her story seems exaggerated based on this:
I don’t think it would ever go down like that in Korea.
There is going to be an envelope or something. It seems rather rude to just give someone money out of your wallet like that in these situations.
6:26 pm on October 25th, 2011 5
I don’t believe this story, just on the fact that who would want to have sex with these ugly girls. Yeah right.
6:35 pm on October 25th, 2011 6
That’s why beauty contests and fashion shows should only be operated by women or gay men. If you are not one of those you shouldn’t really be interested in it anyway.
7:36 pm on October 25th, 2011 7
The Muslims anticipated problems like this. That’s why they insist on keeping women covered.
9:20 pm on October 25th, 2011 8
Welcome to Korea who wants to be known for being an international country and increase tourism but they don’t really give a damn about rape or sexual assault (unless it is perpetrated by a foreigner against a Korean) and they are corrupt as all hell. I’m still not sure why anyone would want to visit Korea when Japan is so close and 1000% better.
9:32 pm on October 25th, 2011 9
Hey mousy,
go eat your cheese..
12:34 am on October 26th, 2011 10
#4,
I believe it. The contestant from Venezuela won a portion of the contest that she hadn’t even entered. The organizers are clearly blasé about their lack of ethics.
1:39 am on October 26th, 2011 11
4 & 9 – I tend to believe it as well. While white envelopes are the norm this was an emergency situation!
As I’ve mentioned before, it is common in Korea for female “talent” to, er, “pay their dues”, so to speak… The Koreans just got carried away.
1:58 am on October 26th, 2011 12
She’s black but not from the U.S., that must mean she’s from Africa.
3:17 am on October 26th, 2011 13
At #7. Yeah, Japanese people are more polite, but they tend to be kind of quirky-weird. Must be an islander culture thing…
5:52 am on October 26th, 2011 14
#12: Ever heard of Jim Jones?
5:56 am on October 26th, 2011 15
Tbonetyler: Jim Jones?
Kangaji:
11:50 am on October 26th, 2011 16
If Miss Venezuela won the talent contest that she didn’t enter, what was her particular talent?
12:02 pm on October 26th, 2011 17
Also, noting Venezuela’s geographic location, how does that qualify for entry in the Miss Asia Pacific contest?
12:58 pm on October 26th, 2011 18
In 1985, the pageant changed its name to the Miss Asia Pacific Quest, to encompass countries not just in the Asian and Oceania region, but those of North, Central and South America with borders touching the Pacific Ocean.
The pageant took its present form in 2005, when the name was changed to Miss Asia Pacific International, to include countries all over the world.
The 37th Miss Asia Pacific International beauty contest was not held in 2008. Due to the lack of sponsors, participants, and popularity, Miss Asia Pacific International will most likely to be postponed to an unknown date and year. It is very likely, the pageant will not be held for another 5 to 10 years or longer.
The organizers of Miss Asia Pacific International clarified that they are not connected with the newly-formed beauty pageant that is going to be held in Korea (Miss Asia Pacific World).
Sort of silly, isn’t it? A third rate beauty pageant? Follow the money.
1:08 pm on October 26th, 2011 19
Apparently it’s called Miss Asia Whatever because the winner is supposed to receive “modelling” contracts in Asia. I see the pattern…
Scandal-ridden beauty pageant organizers checking for misconduct
2011-10-21 09:38
The organizing committee for an international beauty pageant held in South Korea earlier this month said Thursday that it is checking into allegations that some sponsors asked contestants for sexual favors.
The allegations were made by one of the more than 70 beauty queens present for the Miss Asia Pacific World Competition and carried by a British newspaper. The contestant claimed organizers sexually assaulted her and demanded favors to secure votes. The 15-day-long contest was held in three cities in the country with the winner picked on Oct. 15.
British beauty queen Amy Willerton, who made the allegations, also claimed that she saw pageant officials openly bribing local police who had been called to investigate the complaints.
“The organizing committee is looking into the matter,” said Lawrence Choi, who was the promoter of the event. He told Yonhap News Agency that complaints were raised about the poor management of the pageant at one of the venues.
He, however, claimed that complaints about requests for sexual favors may have been due to misunderstanding caused by “cultural differences” between the young contestants and some elderly organizers in their 60s and 70s.
Choi, who is head of the Elite Asia World Group, argued that organizers merely patted contestants on the back.
The Miss Asia Pacific World organizers, however, said that three of the contestants left during the event with some asking for monetary compensation.
The official, in addition, said that speculation that police were bribed was not true.
Related to initial police investigation, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said that officers only received business cards from the organizers, and were told that the matter would be handled after the contestants returned home.
“One plaintiff said that she was groped by organizers, but she told the officers that she planned to handle this matter after consultations with international lawyers in her own country,” a spokesperson said, adding that the agency plans to ask the British press to correct their stories concerning the bribery allegations.
So yeah, they will handle it after they get the hell out of Korea. Hilarious!
1:10 am on October 27th, 2011 20
#19, don’t ya ever work? Are ya working for GI Korea?
5:09 pm on October 27th, 2011 21
I don’t really see it as a “a man screwing over a woman” story. It’s broader than that.
This story confirms what is bred in the bones. When Koreans see an opportunity for leverage, they use it.
Beauty contests. Business negotiations. School board meetings. When you got someone by the throat. Squeeze. Hard. That’s Korea in a nutshell.
Oh yeah one more thing. If you get caught. Blame the other guy and apologize.
6:22 pm on October 27th, 2011 22
#21
I would agree with some of what you write, but having seen Korea at different stages over the past 30 years I would qualify that by saying it is not as bad as it used to be — as if that satisfies as an excuse.
When it comes to sexism, Korean has evolved, at least more so in metropolitan areas and maybe much less so in rural areas. But even in formal business situations, female professionals at the table are still expected to go fetch the coffee after a glancing look from the senior man.
6:32 pm on October 27th, 2011 23
female professionals at the table are still expected to go fetch the coffee after a glancing look from the senior man.
22. Works for me.
/it’s good to be the king, or work closely with said king
7:28 pm on October 27th, 2011 24
20 Homeboy: All the time, Ham Slice. You might note sometime I post in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes in the mid day, afternoon, evening, or what have you. Also, I can multitask.
9:05 pm on October 27th, 2011 25
You guys should read this article, if you can.
http://news.hankooki.com/lpage/society/201110/h2011102810270574990.htm
It says the accusers who accused the Korean police of being bribed, is now denying that they said they saw the money being changed over. It was the British media making things up, the “beauties” say. Also, the CCTV that was in the hotel lobby was checked out, and there was no money that changed hands. The video will also be turned over for to the media. The Korean police have asked the British media to take back their reports saying the Korean police were bribed right in front of the girls. The girls deny they said that.
Why do Western media often lie about Asian countries, to exaggerate, and look for things that can be negative towards images of Asian countries? They always do this against so many Asian countries. Is it racial superiority? I believe so.
5:37 am on October 28th, 2011 26
#25, as I said, I wasn’t buying it for a minute. “emergency” or not, it’s just not the way things are done in Korea, and I believe this story emerged from the british tabloids and not a reputable paper first.
6:58 am on October 28th, 2011 27
whores are whores. ‘beauty contest” contestants — ‘cheerleaders’ showing their undergarments willingly —- come on… might as well just outright sell yourself … prostitution is prostitution in any form.. the world’s oldest profession…. it “IS WHAT IT IS” —–
7:59 am on October 28th, 2011 28
“Finally” appears to have had the wrong type of epiphany… He should remember what his mom told him…