#KoreaNextTopModel

[deaftalentnetwork-blog]

"Seo Young­chae, 22, one of the competitors of "Korea's Next Top Model 4," is drawing attention for persistently pursuing her goal to become a model, despite her physical disability: deafness. The first episode of the survival reality show, which aired on Aug. 15, showed Seo persevering through communication barriers to pass the first cut, which resulted in 10 of 30 girls being sent home. Born deaf, Seo read lips to recognize what other people were telling her before she walked out on to the runway for her first challenge. In response to interview questions, she would confidently express herself via sign language. She experienced difficulty completing the photo shoot, which required immediate feedback and response from the mentors and photographers, however. She eventually pulled off the challenge, ending up with a photo praised by the judges. "It's great that you're overcoming your disability to achieve your dream. I'll support you to the end,” one netizen said. "It appears that you'll be able to fight through future challenges in the competition, judging from not only your good looks but also your perseverance," another said."