Korea to host Mrs. World Pageant 2016 in Sept.

South Korea will host the 28th Mrs. World, a global pageant for married women, hoping to boost cultural exchange and the nation's thriving beauty business, the organizing committee said Monday. 

Mrs. World 2016 will run from Sept. 20-Oct. 4, bringing representatives from over 70 nations, the Mrs. World Korea Organizing Committee said. 

Currently, the western port city of Incheon and southeastern port city Busan are competing to host the event, it said.  

"We will jointly work with local businesses to make the platform in a way to promote South Korea's culture as well as beauty and entertainment business," Song Ji-yeon, the committee president, said in a briefing after the closing ceremony of the 27th Mrs. World Pageant held in Dongguan on the southern coast of China from March 1-12.

Song, the 2011 Mrs. Korea, said the upcoming event will focus on promoting balance between family and work in light of rising concerns over growing cases of child abuse and domestic violence. 

"I hope married women's challenge regardless of their marriage status and age could help them find their identity other than as a mom and a wife, and deliver positive messages through this contest," Song said. 

Mrs. World President David Marmel said the U.S. headquarters selected South Korea as the next host as part of efforts to extend the longstanding friendship between the two nations. 

"The principal reason is the extension of a unique relationship which was formed all those decades ago. This is only a manifesto of friendship extension of a unique relationship," Marmel said. 

Established in 1984 in Los Angeles, the Mrs. World Pageant is aimed at promoting the social activities of married women and healing family under the motto, "The happiness of mom is the happiness of family."

The event is the biggest among four pageants for married women, taking place every year in member states.

Each country picks representatives based on their beauty and social activities in such areas as environment, human rights, culture and business. (Yonhap)