16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

Korea’s First Plus-Size Model

Responds To The “Korea’s
Unrealistic Beauty Standard”
Article

Koreaboo
August 4th, 2015

“Behind every glance is a judgment” –

John Berger, Ways of Seeing

Comments on one’s figure is often,

quiteFeed News Stories Lists
subtly, a customary greeting
between friends in Korea, even towards Trending
foreign men. I recall, during my time in Red Velvet's Hairstylist
Busan, when an old ahjussi (elder Reveals The Secrets To
Creating Irene's Flawless
man) at the Shinsegae sauna (shower Updos
area) sparked a conversation with me by 10+ Hilarious No-Context
commenting on my fully nude body– BTS' RM Moments That Will
Make You Wheeze
umm, certainly not the ideal place to
receive any compliments (or shame) Naver V App Criticized By
from another man. Korean ARMYs For A
Mistranslation In "Run BTS"

About a week ago, Julianna Haahs, the

5 Korean Celebrities Who
brave Korean-American woman who Retired From The
shared her anecdotal story about Entertainment Industry Due
To Scandals
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 1/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article
To Scandals
Korea’s body shaming and unrealistic
More
beauty standards, rode the fickle wave
BTS Jin’s “Moon" Becomes
of support but also fought back against The Highest Charting BTS
sharks that lurked behind every other Track On Billboard's World
Digital Song Sales Chart
comment. Critics accused her of being
paternalistic over another culture; the
same critics who’ve never set foot in
Korea, hate challenging bad cultural
habits–or simply refuse to empathize
with stories on flawed beauty standards,
specifically ones focused
on counterbalancing Western ideals.

I decided to reach out to Vivian

Geeyang Kim (Kim Ji Yang) in
Seoul; she’s South Korea’s first plus-size
model, and she added even more
nuance to Haahs’ story.

She translated her answers from Korean

to English, and gave her honest
perspective about living heavier than
the “average” Korean woman in South
Korea.

1. As a plus-size model, what were your

experiences with your family
members? And do you agree or
disagree with Julianna’s perspective on
Korean culture?
My mom said, “I gave you ‘normal’
birth,” with a sigh, and my grandma
used to say, “You need to do some self-
starvation,” even though I eat like a bird
during most of meal times.

2. Are Koreans just more blunt with

their opinions and more competitive
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 2/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

than the average Westerner -OR- do

you think there is a serious societal
issue that needs to be challenged? For
example, you must have a picture
attached for all job applications in
Korea, which is a surprise to many
Westerners who tend to focus on skill
level first.
I think it’s not about competition for the
resume photo issue; it’s more about
social environment and mass idea that
someone’s appearance should be
included in their ability.

ADVERTISEMENT

3. What is considered plus-size in

Korea, and do Koreans respect
different BMI (body mass index) sizes?
In Korea, if someone’s size is upper than
US 8, people will think that he/she is fat,
regardless of height or muscle tone.
And BMI doesn’t matter now in Korea,
because nowadays, it’s all about the
binary idea, ‘size 4 or fat’.

4. In the U.S., a lot of women are

getting lip and butt injections. Clearly
there are extremes in every country.
What makes Korean plastic surgery
stand out more in the international
public opinion?
I think it’s the side-effect of the
masses idea. People don’t look through
their inside, as they think it’s weird and
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 3/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

doesn’t fit with them; they just adore

their idols and celebrities and follow–
and others will follow them.

5. What do you think about young girls

getting double eyelid surgery? Do you
think surgery should have an age
restriction?
It’s awful, as they are growing and
changing themselves every moment. We
conventionally have double eyelid
surgery when young girls graduate high
school, and I think that we have to make
age-restrictions for plastic surgery.

Plus Model’s Instagram

6. Some people think foreigners should

not provide negative opinions about a
different culture. What do you think
about foreigners giving their negative
opinions about this topic?
‘Universality’ is different for every
cultural space, so foreigners don’t need
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 4/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

to have negative opinions about other

cultures– their opinion is just different,
not wrong.

ADVERTISEMENT

7. Do you think boys and men are

affected by body shaming and the
pressure to have surgery in Korea,
especially in places like Apgujeong and
Gangnam?
Of course! It’s about the lack of
confidence, but it’s not just about body
shape, it’s about personality and
consciousness, to other’s eyes, which are
misunderstood for finding other’s fault.
(The consciousness thing is much more
stronger in Apgujung or Gangnam area)
People that think of themselves to be a
good person don’t feel that pressure.

8. Julianna said, “News flash! Health

can mean skinny but skinny doesn’t
always mean healthy.” Is your health
often questioned as a plus-size model?
There are plenty of people who
prejudge my health condition with my
shape. I was very vulnerable-to-stress
person, but when I stopped dieting for
social weight, I felt stabilized and calm.
Shape and weight are not an absolute
criteria for health condition.

9. 66100, your fashion magazine, caters

to “plus-size readers. Why did you
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 5/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

create the magazine and what does

66100 mean?
It was very hard to find fashion
information for plus-sized people. It’s
connected with plus-sized people’s
confidence. I published 66100 for their
confidence. And 66100 means ordinary
people in reality, not media’s standard.
66 stands Korean size 66 for women,
and 100 stands Korean size 100 for men.

10. Is it a challenge to find other plus-

size Korean models in Korea?
As I know, there are no major fashion
brands targeted at 10-20 aged girls that
promote exclusive plus-size model. It is
that hard.

Bonus: Julianna said, “This is my little

manifesto urging Koreans to break
past tradition when it undermines a
person’s very inner being.”
What suggestion would you like to
give to a young Asian woman (and all
women) going through the same
ordeal?
Don’t let someone (including your
family members) define you with
limited, specific words. Keep your
distance from unhappy tags and
tagging friends; that will be the first step
of your reconstruction for your
confidence.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 6/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

Click here for our Korean version.

Plus Model’s Instagram

. . .
Read this article on OogeeWoogee by
Wilkine Brutus, Koreaboo’s newly
launched content partner.  Koreaboo’s
partner platform is where celebrities,
content creators and our friends share a
unique perspective on Korean content to
our readers with original content!
. . .
About The Author:
Wilkine Brutus is Haitian-American
writer, event host, and YouTuber who
spent 4 years in South Korea exploring
the intersection between culture,
human interaction, and language. He’s
the Content Director
for OogeeWoogee (website and
multimedia studio), and founder/editor-
https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 7/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

in-chief of The Vanguard Element.

Check out his “Talk & Travel” YouTube
Channel and follow his insights on life
via Twitter and Instagram. He’s a
Floridian living in Philadelphia now.
OneLove 

Follow Wilkine Brutus on YouTube,

Twitter and Instagram.

ADVERTISEMENT

. . .
Follow OogeeWoogee
on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

OogeeWoogee

Share This Post

Facebook  Twitter

FOR YOU

 Here Are 12 Of TWICE's Jihyo Most Stunning

Stage Outfits That Will Make You Swerve Into
Her Lane

 8 Times NCT's Jeno Proved He Was Funnier

Than His Members Give Him Credit For

https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 8/9
16/7/2020 Korea's First Plus-Size Model Responds To The "Korea's Unrealistic Beauty Standard" Article

 Red Velvet's Hairstylist Reveals The Secrets To

Creating Irene's Flawless Updos

. . .
© Koreaboo 2020 • Privacy Policy

https://www.koreaboo.com/article/koreas-first-plus-size-model-responds-koreas-unrealistic-beauty-standard-article/ 9/9