Korea

Jounghwa Yi

Jounghwa’s journey in wine was ignited through her work as an interpreter. In her own words: “Interpreters are regularly placed in a position in which they must provide services on a diverse array of topics… we often face frustration in not fully understanding the topics being discussed”. Such a frustration led Jounghwa to pursue the DipWSET, and as this has enabled her to translate wine topics with greater confidence, it has led her to make “a full career switch into the wine industry”. It is Jounghwa’s desire to undertake the MW, and she feels that her professional background in the law, alongside her job as an interpreter, will be of great use in enabling her to communicate “wine knowledge succinctly and authoritatively” as is demanded of the programme. She is passionate about wine education and spreading knowledge, and she is proud of having translated the WSET’s textbooks into Korean, which “have enabled Korean wine professionals to gain easier access to wine knowledge”. It is her aim that, through pursuing the MW, she will be able to gain new learning and go on to share this with professionals and consumers alike in Korea. Jounghwa is currently a Stage 1 student on the MW programme.