By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The weekly magazine ``The Big Issue'' will debut in October with the purported purpose of helping the lives of the homeless.
The weekly magazine is sold in 28 countries already marking hundreds of thousands of sales per week. On the streets of London, Tokyo, Sydney and other major cities, one can easily spot homeless people selling the magazine, shouting ``Big Issue!''
Koo Wan-hoi, a member of the preparation committee for The Big Issue Korea, said the project will contribute to the rehabilitation of the homeless without them begging or offending people.
``By buying a 3,000 won booklet, one will get a sense of satisfaction that he or she is helping one make a living in a more constructive way. The mottos for the venders is `Working, Not Begging,' and `Street Trade, Not Street Aid.' The sales are clearly acts of profit making, like other office workers and businessmen do,'' he said. ``It is a business. The project has helped more than 5,000 homeless and rough sleepers in the world live a new life,'' he said.
The contents will be mainly about pop stars or other celebrities, allowing readers to easily enjoy reading during commuting hours and other times. In the U.K., football giant David Beckham, pop legend Paul McCartney and actor James McAvoy have posed for covers, boosting sales among those who are not even interested in ``noblesse oblige.'' The Korean preparation committee expects big name writers such as Gong Ji-young and Shin Kyung-sook to contribute articles and many other celebrities to show interest.
The Big Issue will be a rare breed in Korea, where advertising accounts for the bulk of publishing income. ``We won't be relying on advertisements. Content will be submitted mainly through donations and the rest will be written by volunteers so that vendors can make a 55 percent sales profit,'' Koo said.
The publishers are planning far ahead. The committee is also pushing to establish a Big Issue Foundation, running tens of programs to help the rehabilitation of the homeless on a practical level. ``Everything from dancing and cooking classes to forming a professional art team and attending international contests will be featured,'' Koo said.
The committee hopes that their company will be designated as a Social Enterprise by the Ministry of Labor for subsidy once the actual operation kicks off. ``It perfectly fits the spirit of social enterprise ― offer jobs rather than a simple donation and seek to give them motivation for rehabilitation ― we can make money and save the world,'' Koo said.
Another committee member, Kim Bo-kyung, said the current economic meltdown can't bring them down. ``In fact, people get more generous during economic downturns,'' she said.
The first edition of The Big Issue is due in October.