Choo says entering J golf with the highest score among the 500 applicants, was not a mere coincidence. Her ongoing passion and interest in golf were the driving forces in getting her to where she is today.
“Golf is a gentlemanlike sport with so much potential and I have always been interested in it,” said Choo. “Even though I majored psychology as an undergraduate, I even considered changing my major to golf.”
With this eagerness, Choo started to dig into golf while working as an announcer at the Gs Gangnam Broadcasting Corporation from the fall of 2006. A month later she found out about the open recruitment at J Golf, and applied for it on the very day.
The month she spent studying and playing golf largely paid off in the cameral test, says Choo. At the studio, she was asked to read a golf article in front of the camera which read “Tiger Woods went round the course in 6 - par.” She read the article as “Tiger Woods went round the course in ‘six under par,’” the exact golf term, where many other applicants read, “Tiger Woods went round the course in ‘six minus par,’”raising a laugh in the studio.
Choo vividly remembers her turning point in life. She was a girl who always dreamt of becoming a journalist, then an anchor after interviewing Hwan Hyun-jung, a renowned Korean female announcer for KBS, while working as a staff reporter for her high school magazine.
“Throughout the interview, I was mesmerized with Hwang’s life and kept thinking how much I wanted to become just like her,” said Choo.
With the dream of becoming an announcer, she entered Ewha as a psychology major.
“I considered majoring in Journalism and Media Studies or Broadcasting and Film,” said Choo. “But when talking to senior announcers, they uniformly said it was better for me purse an academic major such as psychology or sociology.”
The better prep are herself, she spent three years as an announcer at the Ewha University Broadcasting System (EUBS). EUBS was full of chances; she completed the announcer course at the Ewha Broadcasting Academy and emceed at many school events.
“I painstakingly practiced during the course to the extent where blood oozed from my throat,” said Choo.
Even now, as an announcer, Choo studies to become the best in what she hopes will be her lifelong profession.
“Announcing is always fun. I want to broadcast to more people,” said Choo. “There is still a lot to learn. Golf becomes more difficult the more one studies it. I monitor various golf broadcastings and related news, and practice the words to suit my taste.”
She even goes out into the field to play golf. “If a golf specialist announcer only knows the theory then she is broadcasting a lie.”
Choo advises Ewha students to find what they like. “Just go for the things you want to do. Take up the challenge.” said Choo. “But of course, with effort.”