Woman of mystery: What we know about Bong's interpreter Sharon Choi
By Park Si-soo
Who is Sharon Choi?
This is a question numerous moviegoers have in mind.
Choi wowed the world with her eloquent Korean-English interpretation for “Parasite” director Bong Jong-ho during the so-called “campaign season” and at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Her fans would have already combed the internet to collect snippets of her personal life. But the endeavor probably ended with little fruit because available information is limited ― even on Korean websites. Her social media accounts are set to private and, above all, she shuns media contact completely ― at least for now.
Major
about Choi are: (1) her Korean name is Choi Sung-jae, (2) she been working with Bong since the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019; (3) she turned 25; (4) she studied film in the United States, and (5) she directed an indie film whose title is unknown.
The most recent update is that she is planning to make a movie about “awards season,” believed to be inspired by Bong's triumphal history-making awards march.
The Korea Times did a comprehensive search and interview to find out more about this “mysterious” interpreter. This is what we learned:
NATIONALITY:
She is known as a Korean-American. It seems incorrect. Her nationality is said to be Korean. Born in Seoul, according to film industry insiders, she moved to the U.S. and lived there until the age of 10. She attended primary, middle and high schools in Korea.
EDUCATION:
She graduated from
Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies
and studied cinematic arts at the
University of Southern California
(USC).
ENGLISH:
In Korea, she polished up her English at a private English education institute in Daechi-dong, an affluent residential area in southern Seoul.