KOREA FOUNDATION

What made you come to Korea almost 12 years ago?
Back then, I worked for a Vietnamese trading company as a translator and interpreter. One day, a friend introduced me to the man who would later became my husband. We married after two years of dating, after which I came to Korea. I was naturalized in June 2014 and got a legal Korean name: Yu Min-a. I now work as a translator and interpreter for an auto parts manufacturer.

Since 2012, you have been a member of the Mutae Regional Women’s Volunteer Firefighter Corps in northern Daegu. How did that come about?
In 2011, I began studying Korean at the Community Service Center in Mutaejoya-dong. After hearing that the Women’s Volunteer Firefighter Corps was recruiting new members, I decided that I wanted to participate, because volunteering is something that I am passionate about and have also done when I was still living in Viet Nam, taking care of babies, for instance. I had been looking for an opportunity to volunteer in Korea, and this seemed perfect.

What is required of a volunteer firefighter?
My work consists of two main tasks: firefighting assistance and awareness campaigns in the neighborhood. I make sure that firefighters have enough water, meals or snacks on-site. If there are residual fires, my colleagues and I help extinguish them. Awareness campaigns are also very important.
We regularly educate local residents about fire prevention and provide them with water during summer heat waves. When local mask factories had worker shortages in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I went to help produce masks several times. I also work as a Vietnamese interpreter whenever the International Fire & Safety Expo Korea is held at the Daegu EXCO.

Your responsibilities are much more diverse than we expected. Is it difficult to balance your volunteer work at the fire station with a regular 9-to-6 job?
Not at all. I actually gain a great deal from this lifestyle. I made a lot of good Korean friends through the work at the fire station, which helped me adjust quickly to life in this country. I also love the wealth of experiences I get from the proximity to Korean culture. The most rewarding part, by far, is the satisfaction that I am able to be of assistance to others. One advantage of balancing a job with volunteering is that you can really broaden your perspective on life by gaining an understanding of the hardships suffered by others in the community.

Is there a goal you wish to accomplish?
I would like to be a better interpreter. I currently interpret in Korean, English, and Vietnamese, but I want to become even more proficient in all three languages. I will soon start learning Arabic so that I can be of more help to those in the community who are truly in need.