2005-2162

Global Korea
Staff and members of bbb engage in
promotional activities to let foreigners
know about bbb’s translation services.
caller will then be automatically connected to
the mobile phone of an interpreter.
And the service isn’t just for foreigners.
Since 2006, it has even offered interpretation
for Koreans calling from outside the country.
The service dates back to the 2002 FIFA
World Cup, co-hosted by Korea and Japan. For
over two months before, during and after the
World Cup, volunteer translators handled
nearly 25,000 requests, according to bbb’s Web
site, www.bbbkorea.org.
The organizers have agreements with a
wide range of agencies, from the Seoul
Metropolitan Government to the National
Police Agency and the Korean Olympic
Committee, and about 3,200 volunteer
interpreters. The eclectic group includes former
high-ranking diplomats, retired and active
professors and undergraduate and graduate
students. In 2004, bbb took 5,000 calls for help,
but the figure soared to 32,000 last year. It’s
expected to reach 50,000 this year.
Early on, bbb volunteers mostly helped
visitors find accommodations and talk to cab
drivers. But there are more bizarre stories too:
There was a woman in the last month of her
pregnancy who visited an art college because
she wanted to have a cast made of her belly, and
a vegetarian American who ordered the wrong
pizza and ended up eating just the crust.
And as the number of migrant workers and
foreign women marrying Korean men has
The bbb took
just 5,000
calls in 2004,
but that figure
is expected to
hit 50,000
this year.
increased, bbb’s service has grown more diverse.
A Korean groom called up for a crash course on
the Chinese language, as he was getting ready
to wed a Chinese woman. Another Korean man
married to a Chinese woman relayed his
apologies through a volunteer after a botched
date. The bride told her husband that everything
was okay — through the volunteer, of course.
It’s no coincidence that the volunteers
include retired diplomats, foreign college
graduates and holders of certificates for
simultaneous interpretation.
Lee Gye-yeon, who translates Arabic, often
handles delicate situations. The Korea
Immigration Service asks for her help often
when officers see foreigners with suspicious
backgrounds whose English skills are limited.
“There really are people with vague
purposes for their visits,” Lee said. “My job is
to prevent potential dangers, and I think it s
very important to do that.”
Lee Joo-young, secretary-general at bbb,
said some foreign language high schools have
asked if their students can sign up as volunteers,
but only those over the age of 19 can become
volunteers.
“You often have to deal with contingencies
and have to have some negotiation skills,” Lee
said. “So it’s not appropriate for adolescents. But
what’s really important is to have the mind-set
to serve the people and represent Korea [to
foreigners].” By Yoo Jee-ho
December 2009 korea 33