Hankook Ilbo
The first Miss Korea competition took place in 1957 and was sponsored by the Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo. Each year, approximately fifty women compete in Seoul, South Korea, and seven are selected by a panel of judges. The winner "Jin" (진) is crowned as the official Miss Korea. Additionally, there are two "Sun" (선) finalists (equivalent to 1st runners-up), who go on to compete in Miss International or Miss Earth. Lastly, four "Mi" (미) finalists (equivalent to semi-finalists) are chosen.