Episode 3. Talkative Girl Who Loves Foreign Languages.

Life in Seoul became busier after working at the Korea-Africa Summit.

The summit officially wrapped up around June 8, and not long after, I started receiving a lot of interpretation offers—probably because the résumé I had uploaded to an interpretation agency platform was picked up by the algorithm.

From June 11 to 14, I was asked to take on the role of event PM at the Seoul International Food Industry Exhibition, the largest fair held during the Korea Food Expo at KINTEX. Since I didn’t have any major commitments after finishing the summit, and because the PM’s role mainly involves tasks like compiling interpreter lists and overseeing booth operations, I figured it wouldn’t be too overwhelming—so I accepted.

Once the decision was made, I headed to KINTEX on the first day of the event. This was actually my second time visiting KINTEX for work. During the summit, I had been so busy that I couldn’t take in the venue at all, and since this time my focus was again on booth operations, I knew I wouldn’t have much chance to look around either (laughs). Well, I thought, maybe someday I’ll have the leisure to explore the booths properly.

At the event, the vice president in charge gathered all the interpreters, PMs, and staff, gave us an introduction, and shared a few reminders. That’s when we learned that one interpreter had canceled at the last minute. The VP asked if one of the PMs with strong English skills could step in as a replacement—and as you might have guessed, that ended up being me (laughs). The fact that my name tag hadn’t been pre-printed was proof enough that the position change was made in a hurry.

And just like that, my very first interpreting assignment began.

The company I was assigned to turned out to be very popular, so our meeting schedule was packed to the point where I barely had time to eat. Still, I truly enjoyed it. I felt that experiencing firsthand how to promote products, hold meetings, and even make sales would be a valuable asset in the long run.

On days when it was tricky to carve out time for a proper meal, I would just wander around the booths instead. It was fun to explore products from different countries and observe how business deals were conducted. Oh, and at one point, I “kidnapped” Mr. Mujigtiger, who was wandering around the booths, and managed to take a photo with him (laughs). He was absolutely adorable.

On the last day, after the meetings ended and before wrapping everything up, I had some extra time and was able to have a long conversation with the company’s president, Mr. Fernando. Over the four days of the event, he treated me like a daughter and shared many kind words. He told me that I seemed to be someone who studies hard and isn’t afraid to take on new challenges, and that he believed everything I pursue in the future would go well. The way he looked me in the eye and shared his advice and encouragement slowly and sincerely still gives me a lot of strength today.

The CEO of the booth next to ours, who was also close to Mr. Fernando, often came by to chat during the event. On the last day, he too shared some words with me, saying, “You’re such a beautiful young lady with a promising future.” I don’t think I’ve ever felt such warmth from a simple comment. Because Mr. Fernando had spoken so highly of me, many of the neighboring booth representatives also shared kind words, and even the vice president praised me a lot. I felt truly proud and grateful.

After the booth operations wrapped up, Mr. Fernando suggested that I join him for a meeting with CJ, and before I knew it, I ended up accompanying him for the rest of his schedule in Korea. Thanks to him, I got the chance to visit CJ’s live commerce studio, as well as Lotte Tower, where we enjoyed a delicious meal together and shared many conversations.

Before he returned to the U.S., I could tell he felt quite sad to be leaving. In fact, he had asked me to interpret at his booth again for this year’s event, and I had accepted. Unfortunately, due to some personal matters at home, I couldn’t attend this time and wasn’t able to see him. It’s already been more than a year since we last met, and I find myself missing him from time to time. Still, I’ve kept in touch with his son, Diego, through Instagram, so I hear little updates every now and then (laughs).

Diego is a wonderful person as well—knowledgeable, smart, and with a charming smile. Sometimes he asks quirky questions, and whenever he does, I can’t help but think of how much he resembles Mr. Fernando. I truly hope I’ll have the chance to see them again, maybe at the end of this year or next year.

One little TMI: Mr. Fernando’s LinkedIn profile picture is actually one we took together. Every time I see it, it makes me smile. During the entire event, I used to call them “My American Father” and “My American Family.” (laughs)

My very first interpreting assignment remains a truly valuable experience, filled with wonderful memories and moments. Even now, it still feels that way.

After finishing my work at KINTEX, I spent some time going to various interviews. I believed that gaining long-term experience, such as through an internship, would be beneficial for my career, and personally, I also considered it very important to experience organizational life. Working fixed hours, performing assigned tasks on a routine basis, understanding workplace hierarchies, and learning how to carry myself in a professional environment—these are all essential elements of social and professional life. Even if I might not be someone who naturally fits into repetitive organizational routines, I still believe these are valuable lessons to learn and practice for the sake of future work and relationships.

While preparing for interviews and application documents, I found myself with quite a bit of free time. Rather than letting it slip away idly, I decided to make use of it by taking on support work for events at the Italian Embassy on weekends, as well as working with the textile industry secretariat during an exhibition held at COEX.

The support work I did for the Italian Embassy event remains memorable in a different way. It was held in August, and since I was helping with outdoor promotions, I vividly remember how unbearably hot it was. Because it was a promotional event, I dressed somewhat formally, and wearing sneakers didn’t quite feel appropriate—so I ended up standing in dress shoes for four hours straight. Needless to say, my feet were in terrible shape (laughs). Still, I thought to myself that this, too, would become a valuable experience.

Compared to that, working with the secretariat for Preview in Seoul felt a little less demanding. My tasks included walking around to help manage the booths, assisting with contract status checks and meeting reports, and supporting with English communication whenever it was needed, as well as helping out with general announcements.

Since there were quite a few Chinese and Taiwanese companies participating, I even tried using my limited Chinese. To my surprise, it went fairly well (laughs). Simple phrases like “Please write this down,” “Wait a moment,” or “I’ll check for you” came back to me, probably because it hadn’t been long since I graduated from high school where I had studied some basics. It felt rewarding to actually use them in practice. Then again, it’s also very possible that those representatives were just quick-witted and understood my clumsy Chinese out of sheer kindness—me speaking in gibberish, and them graciously making sense of it (laughs).

After spending a relatively calmer September, in October I was assigned to my very first export interpreting role. Since it was my first time handling export table interpretation, I was extremely nervous. If you look at the setup of the table, there are usually two representatives from the company I’m supporting, and across from them two representatives from the counterpart company, with me sitting right in the middle to interpret and assist. The moment I got the offer, I spent about a week running through every possible scenario in my head and studying the company thoroughly (laughs).

At that time, I worked as an interpreter for a company called Lola’s Fine Sauce. Since I had already studied the products in depth, I had also thought a lot about their strengths—the key selling points—and reflected on what aspects might appeal most to potential buyers. Thanks to that preparation, I was able to actively highlight the products during the contract discussions, making sure their value really came across.

That day, after my interpreting assignment, I received positive feedback in three key areas.

First was my appearance. Many people don’t come dressed neatly or prepared, but I was told that my clean and professional outfit, along with a well-groomed image, left a favorable impression and helped a lot. I’ve always believed that appearance matters—especially in business meetings and negotiations. Even in everyday life, most of a person’s first impression is shaped by attire and outward presentation. This experience reminded me once again how important it is to be mindful and well-prepared in that regard.

Second was my attitude. I wasn’t just performing as an interpreter, but also showing an understanding of the company itself and taking an active role in sales. Because I knew the company, its products, and the key selling points, many buyers who were hesitant to communicate in English directed their questions to me in Korean. I would then explain things to them, and afterward summarize the discussion for the company’s representatives. This allowed the meetings to progress more smoothly and quickly, and the buyers’ needs were met more precisely—leading to follow-up meetings as well. Toward the end, one buyer who had previously worked in the UK praised me extensively, which also led to compliments from the vice president (which I was very proud of).

Third was my proactive communication. Not all buyers are outgoing, so I would gently encourage product testing when I sensed they were interested but hesitant. If they seemed uncomfortable, I offered small sample packs from different product lines instead. Since meetings were often hectic, I also made sure buyers didn’t leave without catalogs or samples, always double-checking with them before wrapping up. I was told that this attentiveness and support left a strong positive impression.

Looking back, I realize that I—a talkative young person who once fell in love with foreign languages during a difficult time—managed to overcome hardships through their charm. Ironically, what began as a kind of escape has now become a turning point in my life, opening up countless opportunities.

I am still deeply in love with languages, and there are so many more I wish to learn. Reflecting on it now, I think it was around this time that I began to dream of living abroad for a month, traveling to different countries, connecting with people, sharing love, and experiencing life to the fullest.