Kick-butt actress takes role as interpreter for Jeju police

The heroine of the Korean martial arts film "Geochilmaru: The Showdown," is now embarking on her chosen career ― though one perhaps just as daunting as acting. Following graduation from police college as a marine police officer, Oh Mi-jeong, 27, is now on board Patrol Ship No. 1502, based out of Jeju Island. She is responsible for Korean-Chinese interpretation.
Ms. Oh, playing the character "president Cheol," showed off her martial arts skills in the film, which stars eight martial arts masters. The movie opened last September.
As a youngster, Ms. Oh was not interested in martial arts, as her father, a taekwondo instructor, did not push her to take it up. However, she joined a wushu (a Chinese martial art) club at Jeju National University.
She said she joined the club on a whim, but later won prizes in national wushu competitions between 1998 and 2000. Perhaps she had martial arts in her genes, as she achieved a second-level grade in wushu and a first-level in Japanese kendo while she was studying at university.
After graduating she spent two years in China from 2001 studying wushu further at a martial arts school in Shanxi province where she not only honed her skills, but also learned to speak Chinese.
Returning to Korea, she was cast in the film. After making the movies, the Jeju marine police hired her to work as an interpreter.
"Once the ship leaves the shore the patrol takes nine days," Ms. Oh said. "I had hardly ever been aboard a ship and worried about getting seasick."
"As in the past, I will have a positive attitude and try to learn things fast," she said.
"As a Chinese-Korean interpreter, I will try to be a bridge between Korea and China when conflicts occur in regard to fishing in the sea."

by Yang Seong-cheol