A translator’s role takes huge responsibilities especially in settings such as deposition and in court, as every word spoken holds legal force. Dahae Chloe Jung, a translator specializing in the judicial field, mainly performs translation related to law to contribute to impartial judgment.
Jung dreamed of becoming a translator after watching the film “Air Force One,” realizing how important a translator’s role is in removing language barriers. She then graduated from the Graduate School of International Studies at Chung-Ang University, majoring in the Korean- English Advanced Interpretation and Translation Program. Through her time at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and TEK & LAW, Jung has been building a career in legal translation.
While studying at graduate school, Jung had an opportunity to translate for a refugee trial in court. After that, she went on to take on more various types of cases such as civil and criminal trials and eventually became in charge of English- Korean translation at the Seoul Central District Court, spending the majority of her time in the courtroom, detention center, and police office.
Regarding the most memorable moment throughout her career, Jung reminisced the day when former U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and former South Korean President Moon Jae-in met at Panmunjom located in the Demilitarized Zone in 2019.
“I still remember how thrilled I was while translating on live broadcasting,” she said. “I have always wanted to translate for a summit ever since I dreamt of becoming a translator, so it was such an overwhelming moment for me.”
Jung also recalled one of the toughest cases she has done. During the early days of her career, Jung was in charge of translating two Canadian witnesses’ interrogation in court. The attorneys involved in the trial objected whenever they felt like her translation was not done in their favor, consequently leading the interrogation to last for more than five hours without a break. It was a difficult case for her, but through the challenging experience, she learned how important it is to reflect even a small detail and check the nuance in judicial translation.
Jung emphasized that judicial translation requires a different approach from ordinary translation. Since every single word can be used as a basis of argument, all words spoken should be translated without omission. In addition, due to the difference in legal system between South Korea and the United States, background knowledge of the laws in both countries is required when translating. According to her experience, judicial translation needs at least four times more preparation compared to regular ones because of such characteristics.
“It is not just about memorizing legal jargon, but understanding the fundamentals and principles of law,” she highlighted. “Without such knowledge, it is impossible to translate anyone’s words properly.”
When Jung first joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took part in the Free Trade Agreement negotiation, she struggled to follow the context since she did not have enough knowledge of international law. After consideration, she re-entered graduate school and studied international law, taking online lectures about domestic law at the same time.
Jung’s consistency in academics motivated her to move one step forward and open Audio Lab, a research institute for legal English. Ten years of translator career taught her the significance of legal English which is completely different from a day-to-day conversational level. In hopes of helping people with the content she collected through her experiences from negotiations and lawsuits, she conducts legal English lectures.
Jung’s biggest inspiration for teaching is helping South Korea gain the upper hand on the international stage. Not knowing enough legal terms and concepts can, in the worst case, make a huge loss. Therefore, she wishes her lecture could reach anyone in need of legal English, whether it be the government or companies.
As an executive director, Jung’s current goal is to focus on running Audio Lab well. Having lots of plans in mind, she firmly believes that this is the way she can contribute positively to the world.
For those who wish to become a translator, Jung advised to grow specialty in one specific field.
“A translator’s roles are limitless,” she said. “Broaden your view, accumulate experiences, and show your competency on the stage. I personally wish to see more translators in the judicial field.”