[User Stories] Pursuing a goal of becoming a top-tier Chinese-Korean biz interpreter

SentBe met its user, Zhang Yina, in Seoul, April 2021 and listened to her life in Korea and what he has been planning and pursuing for the future. Here's a very inspiring story about her.

SentBe: What did you do in China before coming to Korea?

Zhang: My hometown, Yanbian, is a Chinese region where many Korean immigrants reside for decades. Thanks to this environment, I've got accustomed to Korean language since my childhood. I majored in Computer Education in China, but after graduating the university, I worked as an interpreter for Korean and Chinese businesses. While working, I began to think of studying interpretation and it made me come to Korea.

SentBe: How has your life been in Korea so far?

Zhang: Once I arrvied in Korea, I took courses for graduate school entrance exam in a private foreign language education institution. Luckily, I passed the exam after six-month preparation. After successfully obtaining a master degree from the graduate school of interpretation and translation, I got a job at Coupang, one of the biggest e-commerce platform in Korea. I've seen many wonder what I do at Coupang. In fact, Coupang has many IT developers in Korea as well as China. With this reason, the company needs professional interpreters like me for internal communication. I am greatly satisfied with my current work at Coupang because it is an opportunity for me to combine my computer education majot to my Chinese and Korean language skills.

Since I've been mostly working from home due to the Covid-19 for almost a year, I miss the time I worked with colleagues at office. I hope all can go back to the normal office life and get back energetic daily life too.

SentBe: How is your experience in using financial services in Korea?

Zhang: Overall, there is no inconvenience in my daily life in Korea but I've been experiencing some difficulties in using certain local financial services. For example, simple and easy mobile payment services such as KakaoPay are not accessible for foreigners like me. Moreover, I saw many Korean colleagues and friends buy and sell easily stocks with their mobile device and I also wanted to partially put my income in that way. However, I found that opening an account for stock trading is not easy for foreigners. It requires a physical visit to a specific branch and the number of accounts to open is fixed at the branch. As a result, I just nearly gave up starting stock trading in Korea. For example, simple and easy mobile payment services such as KakaoPay are not accessible for foreigners like me. Moreover, I saw many Korean colleagues and friends buy and sell easily stocks with their mobile devices and I also wanted to partially put my income in that way. However, I found that opening an account for stock trading is not easy for foreigners. It requires a physical visit to a specific branch and the number of accounts to open is fixed at the branch. As a result, I just nearly gave up starting stock trading in Korea.

SentBe: What is your future plan?

Zhang: In Korea, there is a perception that interpretation and translation is a specialized job, but in China there is no such recognition. If there is an opportunity later, I'd like to work as an interpreter for a Korean company operating key business in China.

SentBe found Zhang's face is filled with bright smile all the time when she told us about what she has been achieving and dreaming while living and working in Korea. SentBe is greatly proud of her life journey and will be always supporting her goal to be achieved. SentBe is thrilled to look forward to what to come in her near future!