Interpreting and translating is my main job rather than broadcasting... “Korea is my second hometown, with so much affection, ‘Jeong’ is even in front of my name.”
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Se-jin = "When I first started broadcasting, I was a frog in a well who lived only in Egypt."
Jeong Sae-mi (36), who works as a broadcaster and Korean-Arabic interpreter and translator in Korea, said in an interview held at a cafe in Sangdo-dong, Seoul on the 23rd that she learned to study more and accept diverse perspectives while working in broadcasting.
He became a familiar face to the Korean public after appearing on the JTBC entertainment program 'Non-Summit', but his main job is not broadcasting.
Among Korean and Arabic interpreters, we especially focus on the legal field.
They go back and forth between police, prosecutors, immigration authorities, and courts, providing interpretation necessary for investigations, investigations, and trials. Detention centers, shelters, and prisons are also stages where he works as an interpreter.
Sammy, who grew up in a rural area outside the city of Mansoura, Egypt, first came into contact with Korea in 2007 when he entered the Korean language department at Ain Shams University in Cairo.
“At the time, Egyptians didn’t know much about Korea. There were quite a few people who thought Samsung cell phones and Hyundai cars were Japanese products.”
Even for him, Korea was an unknown country.
In such a situation, it is said that the major he initially thought of before entering college was Spanish.
A recommendation from a high school teacher was the starting point, but as I was preparing to enter college, my thoughts changed. This was because I heard from my seniors that the Spanish department had a lot of applicants, so competition was fierce, and the main career path after graduation was in the tourism field.
Then, the place that caught my eye was the Korean language department, which had just opened.
People around me said that since Korean companies are expanding into Egypt, there will be many job opportunities if I learn Korean.
The Korean language he started learning after seeing employment prospects led him to Korea.
He first set foot on Korean soil in 2009 when he was selected as a scholarship student for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) support program and had the opportunity to study at Kyung Hee University.
“Everything was new. There was ample support, so Korea felt like a paradise for living without hardship.”
Her Korean name, ‘Jeong Sae-mi’, reflects the common sentiment of both cultures.
One day while learning Korean in Egypt, a Korean teacher explained the Korean word 'jeong' in the textbook and said that it was probably a concept that did not exist in Egypt.
Sammy wondered if this was really the case and searched in various ways.
The conclusion he reached was different. The Korean concept of ‘jeong’ also existed in Egyptian culture and could be expressed in various ways in Arabic.
“I newly learned that Korea and Egypt have something in common. I thought of myself as a very affectionate person.”
From then on, I started adding ‘Jeong’ before ‘Sammy’ as a last name.
In 2014, while studying abroad at Seoul National University, Sammy entered the broadcasting industry through an unexpected opportunity.
At the time, the program 'Non-summit' was popular, but Sammy, who did not have a TV, did not enjoy watching Korean broadcasts, so he was not familiar with the program.
It is said that he went to the JTBC website to apply for an appearance at the recommendation of those around him, but gave up at the 'identity verification' stage. This is because the long Arabic name did not fit in the input field.
However, a Korean senior whom I knew submitted an application to appear on the show without Sammy's knowledge, and soon after, I received a call from the broadcasting station.
“When they asked me to come for an interview, I said, ‘Oh, it’s a money-making job,’ and ‘I’ll be there on time.’”
Sammy said that the place he went to the address given was the JTBC building, and that it was only after sitting in front of the writers and production staff that he realized that he was in an interview room to select actors for 'Non-Summit'.
The application form that his senior had filled out on his behalf had many different details from the reality, so Sammy was unable to properly answer the barrage of questions.
So of course I thought I was eliminated, but about a week later, I was asked to appear just once in place of Representative Turkiye, who was leaving.
Sammy, who first appeared on the show as a daily panelist, became a regular member about half a year later.
Since then, Sammy has continued his broadcasting activities based on his fluency in Korean.
The broadcast made Sammy a familiar face to the Korean public, but the bigger change for him was in the way he viewed the world.
“At first, it was a frog in a well that lived only in Egypt.”
He said he realized that those who convey information on broadcast have an ethical obligation to say only content with solid evidence.
Rather than lumping Egypt, Arabs, the Middle East, and Islam together, I studied more to understand the differences between them, diversified my sources of information, and learned to listen to perspectives different from my own.
He said that as he is conscious of the fact that his face is known to the public and a certain image is created about him, he has developed the habit of thinking twice before he speaks or acts.
He said, “I think I have now become a person who can objectively understand and introduce Egypt, Arabs, the Middle East, and Islam well.”
Sammy never neglected his studies while working in broadcasting, and the field in which he developed expertise was Korean-Arabic interpretation and translation.
He completed a master's degree in Korean language at Seoul National University and a master's degree in Korean-Arabic language at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He has expanded his scope of activity to include interpretation in the legal and medical fields, Arabic language education, and lectures to promote Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Islamic culture.
“Rather than broadcasting, what I have focused on is Arabic and Korean interpretation and translation. Among them, legal interpretation.”
Sammy, who has gained experience in the field of interpretation for 16 years, entered the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in 2023 to obtain proper qualifications as a professional interpreter. After studying for two years while working in broadcasting, I acquired qualifications as an interpreter and translator for international conferences.
He said that he has no experience interpreting for international conferences yet and that he would like to challenge himself in this field as well.
Sammy has been organizing the technical terms he has been collecting since his graduate school days by field and continues to check whether the translations are accurate.
My own professional vocabulary that I compiled for use in the interpreting field exceeds 100 pages.
Regarding the Egyptian's 'African identity', Sammy said, "I think the only time I think of myself as African is when I play soccer."
The explanation is that although most of Egypt's territory belongs to the African continent, they are not very conscious of their identity as Africans in their daily lives.
He said that in 12 years of broadcasting in Korea, he had only appeared as a representative of Africa once, and that even in Korea, Egypt seems to be associated with Arabs, the Middle East, and Islam rather than with Africa.
He said that through living in Korea, he felt that Korean society's interest in various cultures of the world was growing.
Introducing the incident in 2013 when a child saw him at a supermarket in Busan and shouted "American", he expressed the view that Korean people's perspectives on the culture and values of various regions of the world have become more diverse compared to then.
The Arab Cultural Festival and the Arab Film Festival were cited as examples of such changes. The scale is growing every year and the content is becoming richer.
It was assessed that there are still prejudices and misunderstandings surrounding Islam and Arabs, but as exchanges and interest increase, understanding of these cultures is gradually deepening.
Sammy, who calls Korea his ‘second home’, said that he usually spends his days barely conscious of the fact that he is a foreigner.
“The country where I was born and have patriotism is Egypt, but the society that evolved and developed me is Korea, where I live now.”
He revealed that the most difficult aspect of living in Korea is the reality of having to meet increasingly stringent visa conditions to maintain residency status.
He said, “This is Korea where I want to be, so I am doing my best to meet the conditions.”
Sammy also expressed his hope that Korea and Egypt would develop into brother countries beyond political and diplomatic relations.
“Korea has excellent technology and growth experience, and Egypt has a young population, large land, resources, and geographical advantages.”
Sammy believes that what he needs to do to improve the relationship between the two countries is to get to know each other better.
That is why we are continuing our activities to introduce Egypt, the Middle East, and Islamic and Arab culture to Korea through broadcasting and YouTube.
A book that is an extension of that will also be released in October.
This is the Egypt edition of Niche Bookstore's national culture introduction series 'Extremely Private', which deals with the society, culture, religion, and identity of modern Egypt.
Sammy said that he focused on introducing 'today's Egypt' to Korean readers, which is not often seen because it is obscured by ancient civilizations such as pyramids and mummies.
“I think I should continue to introduce and promote the two countries.”
[Africans in Our Midst] (54) Samy Rashad: From 'frog in a well' to Korea-Arab bridge
Egyptian who knew little about Korea became regular panelist on JTBC's 'Non-Summit'
Interpreter by profession calls Korea his 'second home'
“When I first started broadcasting, I was a frog in a well who had only lived in Egypt.”
Samy Rashad, 36, an Egyptian broadcaster and Korean-Arabic interpreter based in South Korea, said in an interview at a cafe in Seoul's Sangdo-dong on Sept. 23 that working in broadcasting taught him to study more and embrace different perspectives.
Samy became a familiar face for Korean viewers through JTBC's entertainment program "Non-Summit," even though broadcasting is not his main profession.
He specializes in Korean-Arabic interpretation, particularly in the legal field. He works with police, prosecutors, immigration authorities and courts, providing interpretation during questioning, investigations and trials.
Additionally, he provides his services at detention centers, immigration holding facilities and prisons.
Samy grew up in a rural area outside Mansoura, Egypt. His first connection with Korea came in 2007, when he enrolled in the Korean language department at Ain Shams University in Cairo.
"At the time, Egyptians didn't know much about Korea. Quite a few people thought Samsung phones and Hyundai cars were Japanese products," he said.
Samy was also unfamiliar with Korea.
As he prepared to enter university, the first major he considered was Spanish, following a recommendation from a high school teacher.
But he changed his mind after hearing from senior students that the Spanish department was highly competitive because of the large number of applicants and that career opportunities after graduation were largely limited to tourism.
His attention then turned to the relatively new Korean language department.
People around him told him that Korean companies were expanding into Egypt and that learning Korean could offer greater employment opportunities.
The Korean language, which he began learning with job prospects in mind, eventually brought him to Korea.
In 2009, Samy was selected for a scholarship program supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and first came to Korea to study at Kyung Hee University.
"Everything was new. The support was generous, so Korea felt almost like a paradise where there were no hardships," he said.
His Korean name, Jeong Samy, reflects an emotional concept he found the two cultures shared.
One day while studying Korean in Egypt, a Korean teacher explained "jeong," a uniquely nuanced Korean term for affection and emotional attachment, and said there probably was no equivalent concept in Egypt.
Curious whether that was really the case, Samy looked into it in various ways. He came to a different conclusion: The concept of "jeong" existed in Egyptian culture as well and could be expressed in several ways in Arabic.
"I newly realized that Korea and Egypt had something like that in common. And I thought of myself as someone with a lot of 'jeong,' too," he said.
From then on, he began putting "Jeong" before Samy as if it were his family name.
In 2014, while studying at Seoul National University, Samy unexpectedly found his way into broadcasting.
JTBC's "Non-Summit" was popular at the time, but Samy did not own a television and rarely watched Korean TV, so he knew little about the program.
At the suggestion of people around him, he went to JTBC's website to apply to appear on the show but gave up at the identity verification stage because his long Arabic name would not fit in the entry field.
Then an older Korean friend he knew submitted an application on his behalf without telling him. Not long afterwards, Samy received a call from the broadcaster.
“They told me to come for an interview, so I thought, ‘Ah, this must be a paid job,’ and said, ‘I’ll be there on time,’” he recalled.
Samy followed the address he had been given and arrived at the JTBC building, only realizing after sitting down in front of the writers and production staff that he was at an audition to select a new cast member for "Non-Summit."
Much of the application filled out by his friend did not match the facts, leaving Samy unable to properly answer many of the questions fired at him.
He assumed he had failed, but about a week later, he was asked to make a single appearance as a substitute for the Turkish representative, who was temporarily unavailable.
That one-off appearance led to Samy becoming a regular panelist about six months later. Since then, he has continued to appear on Korean television, drawing on his fluency in the language.
Broadcasting made him a familiar face to the Korean public, but the greater change for him was in the way he viewed the world.
“At first, I was a frog in a well who had only lived in Egypt,” he said.
He said broadcasting made him realize that people who provide information to the public have an ethical obligation to speak only about things backed by solid evidence.
He began studying more to understand the differences among Egypt, the Arab world, the Middle East and Islam rather than lumping them together. He also diversified his sources of information and learned to listen to different perspectives from his own.
As he became more publicly recognizable and aware that people were forming a certain image of him, he also developed a habit of thinking twice before speaking or acting.
“I think I’ve now become someone who can understand Egypt, the Arab world, the Middle East and Islam objectively, and explain them well,” he said.
Even while working in broadcasting, Samy has continued studying and building his expertise in Korean-Arabic interpretation and translation.
After completing coursework for a master's degree in Korean linguistics at Seoul National University and a master's program in Korean-Arabic interpretation and translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, he expanded his work to include legal and medical interpretation, Arabic-language education and lectures introducing Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Islamic culture.
"More than broadcasting, what I have focused on is Arabic-Korean interpretation and translation. Legal interpretation, in particular, is my specialty," he said.
After 16 years of experience in the field, Samy entered the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in 2023 to obtain formal professional credentials as an interpreter.
After two years of study while continuing his broadcasting work, he earned a qualification in conference interpretation and translation. He said he has yet to work as a conference interpreter but hopes to take on that field as well.
Since graduating school, Samy has continued compiling specialized terms for various fields and repeatedly checking the accuracy of their translations.
His own collection of specialized Korean-Arabic vocabulary, compiled for use in interpretation, has now grown to more than 100 pages.
Asked about Egyptians' "African identity," Samy said, "I think the only time we think of ourselves as Africans is when it comes to football."
Although most of Egypt's territory lies on the African continent, he explained that Egyptians do not strongly identify themselves as African in everyday life.
He said that during his 12 years of broadcasting in Korea, he has appeared as an African representative only once, adding that Koreans, too, seemed more likely to associate Egypt with the Arab world, the Middle East or Islam than with Africa.
At the same time, Samy said living in Korea has allowed him to witness the growing interest in cultures from different parts of the world.
He recalled an incident at a supermarket in Busan in 2013, when a child saw him and shouted, "An American!" Compared with those days, he said, Koreans now seem to have a more diverse understanding of the cultures and values of different parts of the world.
As examples of that change, he cited the Arab Culture Festival and the Arab Film Festival, saying they have grown in scale and become rich in content over the years.
Prejudice and misconceptions surrounding Islam and the Arab world remain, he said, but greater exchanges and interest are gradually deepening understanding of those cultures.
Samy, who calls Korea his "second home," said he usually goes about his life barely conscious of the fact that he is a foreigner.
“Egypt is the country where I was born and the country I am patriotic about. But Korea is the society where I live now, the society that has helped me evolve and grow,” he said.
He said the most difficult part of living in Korea is having to meet increasingly stringent visa requirements to maintain his residency status.
“Korea is where I want to be, so I’m doing my best to meet the requirements,” he said.
Samy also expressed hope that Korea and Egypt can develop their relationship beyond political and diplomatic ties to that of brother countries.
“Korea has advanced technology and experience in economic growth, while Egypt has a young population, vast land, resources and geographic advantages,” he said.
Samy believes his role in advancing relations between the two countries is to help them better understand each other.
That is why he continues to introduce Egypt, the Middle East, Islam and Arab culture to Koreans through broadcasting and YouTube.
Taking those efforts one step further, he is scheduled to release a book in October.
It is the Egypt edition of the country-by-country cultural series "Extremely Personal" and deals with contemporary Egyptian society, culture, religion and identity.
Samy said his book focuses on introducing Korean readers to "Egypt today," which is often obscured by the country's ancient civilization, including its pyramids and mummies.
“I think I should continue introducing the two countries to each other and helping people learn more about them.”
(By Park Se-jin, Ubuntu Content Team of Yonhap News)
※ Editor's note: This English article is based on a Korean-language story. AI-assisted translation was used in part, and the final version was reviewed by an editor.
