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SuChin Pak |
This is the 12th in a series of interviews with accomplished Koreans in the United States. _ ED.
By Jane Han
Korea Times correspondent
NEW YORK _ From Britney Spears and Paris Hilton to Mariah Carey and Jay-Z, name a celebrity and she’s interviewed them. SuChin Pak, the first Asian face of MTV, is a proven reporter who always knows what to ask.
Having been with one of the world’s largest television networks for more than 10 years, she’s met the biggest stars, traveled around the world and, naturally, become a role model for a huge audience of young Asians who dream of being just like her one day.
Sharing her personal story, Pak talked to The Korea Times about her career, and what it means to be an Asian in the American television industry and where she’s headed next.
``What I do every day is really a dream job,’’ says Pak. ``The experience is indescribable.’’
Since joining MTV as a news correspondent in 2001, Pak has covered the MTV Movie Awards, the Sundance Film Festival and the MTV Video Music Awards, to name but a few. Besides her entertainment coverage, she hosted her own documentary series and reported on major events including September 11 and the Haiti Earthquake.
Unlike typical news jobs, the nature of Pak’s work requires great versatility to quickly switch gears from touring celebrity homes to covering the presidential election.
``There is really nothing that can prepare you for a job like this,’’ said the 34-year-old. ``Everyday is different and because MTV is such a huge and global brand, it’s all about how you figure out your voice.’’
For Pak, this didn’t take long to do. With her bubbly personality and ability to do all, she quickly found her niche at the giant network.
The Korean-American may look like she was born to do TV, but the truth, she admits, is far from that.
``I always thought I’d become an immigration lawyer,’’ said Pak, who majored in political science at the University of California, Berkeley. ``At the time, Connie Chung was pretty much the only Asian in the business and I never thought I’d be able to do TV for a living.’’
But she did. Not because she went after it so diligently, but the other way around _ the industry kept coming to her.
Pak’s first on-air exposure came when she was 16. While volunteering for a youth program, she was interviewed for a news segment at a local TV station.
After that, producers continued to offer her television jobs one after another, all the way through college.
``I had an unusual college experience because I traveled the world, while going to school at the same time,’’ recalled the sought-after commentator. ``Now to look back, I was very lucky.’’
More than a decade into her career, Pak is now gradually shifting away from celebrity news to another area she finds more passion in: youth empowerment.
``I love covering entertainment but I ask myself: Is it something that I believe in? Is it something that I’m really proud of?’’
``My voice is less with celebrities. For me, it’s really about empowering the youth.’’
Currently, one of Pak’s many jobs is Pepsi’s Refresh Everything Project.
Pepsi is awarding money every month to fund people who have positive ideas. What Pak does is travel across the country on a giant bus, meet grant recipients and hear their story.
``It’s amazing to see how people’s lives change,’’ says the youth advocate, who has particularly feelings for the children of immigrants.
``I always tell kids to find what they’re passionate about,’’ said Pak, who was born in Seoul and moved to the U.S. when she was five.
``Asian-Americans often struggle to be good sons and daughters,’’ she said, ``but it’s ultimately your life. In the end, you have to find what you want.’’
Pak, too, had to go against her parents who initially weren’t happy with her career decision.
``I have no regrets about my choice,’’ she said.
On Korean music’s attempt to make inroads into the U.S., Pak said Korean artists like Rain and Wonder Girls bring a complete package of great performance and singing.
``But I don’t know if this market is ready for a crossover,’’ she added. ``Shakira is the only one to see real success as a crossover in the past 10 years. It’s just tough breaking into this market.’’
Based in Manhattan, Pak travels so much that three weeks is the longest she’s stayed in New York at a given time. But as a fan of Korean food and music she says her dream is to live in Korea for a year.
``Seoul is no joke,’’ said Pak, recalling her recent visit. ``It’s so much faster, more congested and tech advanced. It makes New York look like the countryside.’’
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