New magazine promotes healthy body image

By Joel Lee

A new fashion magazine targeting "plus-sized readers" is opening eyes with its empowering message about body image.

The magazine's title, "66100," is a play on clothing size. Sixty-six is a reference to women's "extra-large" clothes, while 100 refers to large clothes for men.

"Beauty is not about whether a person is fat or not. It's about having the confidence to know you are beautiful the way you are," magazine founder Kim Ji-yang, 28, told Kyunghyang Shinmun.

Weighing 70 kilograms and measuring 165 centimeters in height, Kim herself wears size 88 clothes, which are considered "XXL" in Korea.

In 2010, she became first Korean woman to become a plus-sized model in the United States.

Kim Ji-yang, 28, magazine publisher of "66100"

Korean society places heavy emphasis on appearance and many people feel stigmatized because of weight.

"The reason why (Koreans) are obsessed about dieting is because they feel insecure and fearful about being excluded," Kim said.

She said Korean manufacturers don't offer enough sizes.

"The reason why many Korean women gain weight when they go overseas is because they don't feel stressed out about wearing certain sizes because there are diverse sizes available," she remarked.

Kim hopes the magazine will help create a new market for plus-sized women in Korea. Still, there are challenges ahead, including finding plus-sized models who feel confident about their bodies.

Kim said the survival of the publication depends on reader response.

As for the 1,000 copies of the first-edition, which she published using her savings, Kim said, "Fortunately, the response wasn't that bad."

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