Schults, who is currently studying Korean language education at Seoul National University, finished fourth at the Global Miss Chunhyang Pageant last Wednesday in Namwon – a city in the south of South Korea and home to some of the country's most romantic folklore.

Miss Chunhyang is one of the most popular beauty pageants in South Korea.

Schults explained that it is not only a beauty contest, but also about skills and values. Contestants are also judged on their resemblance to the beautiful and talented Seong Chunhyang, heroine of one of the most famous Korean folk tales, whose love story with Yi Mongryong is well-known throughout the country.

The Estonian is also a YouTuber and has a channel under the name "Kimchi Ghost Mai." "I've somehow become this bridge between Korea and Estonia," she said on ETV show "Terevisioon."

"My followers recommended that I take part in the competition, saying that I look a lot like the character Chungyang and that the hanbok (traditional Korean costume – ed.) suits me really well. This year was the second time I tried out."

The annual competition only began accepting international participants in 2024 in a bid to increase its global outreach. However, all contestants still have to live in South Korea and speak Korean.

According to a report in The Korea Times, over 600 applicants took part in this year's pageant, with 38 reaching the final stage.

Schults was named Miss Chunhyang "Hyun," a title that ranks just below "Jin" (first place), "Seon" (second place), and "Mi" (third place) in the pageant's hierarchy.

"I'm deeply honored to represent a tradition I've long admired," Mai said ."Learning the language brought me closer to Korean culture, and standing here today feels like a dream."

Preparations for the competition took 11 days. "I danced from morning till night. We were also judged on how we behaved while we were preparing. Then they looked at our performance. I danced a traditional Korean dance. On top of that, they assess how you express yourself in Korean," said Schults.

Her success at this year's event means Schults cannot take part in the contest again. "If I had finished seventh or even lower, I could participate again, but to be honest, I don't want to. It was very difficult and challenging. We only slept five hours every night. It wasn't easy, but it was a very intense experience," he added.

Schults was first introduced to Korean culture and language through K-pop boy band BTS. "I discovered them in 2015 thanks to my friend. I thought they were pretty cool – they dance like Michael Jackson. I got interested in Korean culture and then, coincidentally, a year later, I came here on a trip. I liked it so much that I wanted to come back immediately," Schults said.

According to the Estonian, learning Korean is easy at first, but becomes more challenging later on. "Their alphabet is very simple, you learn it in 20 minutes. But when it comes to writing, it gets harder and harder," said Schults.

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