Miss Korea

Miss Korea is an MBC television drama set in the year 1997, following a group of people trying to save a struggling cosmetics company during the Asian financial crisis. They attempt to do this by transforming a local, ordinary shop girl into the winner of the Miss Korea beauty pageant. The series explores themes of ambition, economic hardship, and nostalgia for the late 90s.

The lead roles are played by Lee Sun-kyun, who portrays an ambitious VJ trying to save his business, and Lee Yeon-hee, who plays the young woman groomed for the pageant. The series also features actor Lee Ki-woo in a prominent supporting role. Their ensemble chemistry drives the comedic and romantic elements of the show.

The series aired on the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) network in South Korea. It had a total run of twenty episodes, broadcasting from late 2013 into early 2014. The show was part of MBC's traditional Wednesday-Thursday drama slot.

The show takes place in 1997, immediately before and during the devastating IMF financial crisis that hit South Korea. This historical backdrop is crucial to the plot, as the characters' desperate economic circumstances drive them to enter the beauty pageant. The era provides a strong sense of nostalgia and stakes for the narrative.