Vol. 5 [UT Member Interview] 🎤Chaewon "Joanne" Kim (ILA ’17) Part 2 of 2

This is Part 2 of the alumni interview with Chaewon "Joanne" Kim (ILA ’17), composed of questions designed to help us get to know her better on a professional level. Below is the English translation of the original Korean text.

🎤 Could you briefly share what you are currently working on and the role you hold?
I have worked in global business for eight years, with experience spanning both international sales and business operations. My work has largely involved exporting Korean products overseas and forming partnerships to introduce strong international solutions into the Korean market. Most recently, until last year, I focused on successfully bringing a European advertising solution into Korea. At the moment, I am taking a short break due to personal reasons — specifically immigration and wedding preparations.

🎤 What first sparked your interest in this industry or professional field?
From a young age, I aspired to become a diplomat and developed a strong interest in languages. That naturally led me to become curious about different cultures around the world, which in turn drew me to global work. I currently speak English, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish, and I am also learning Dutch, as I now live in the Netherlands. While the industries I’ve worked in have varied over time, I’ve always maintained an open mindset toward different languages and cultures. Looking back, I think that early curiosity — combined with my life experiences — is what ultimately led me to develop a strong interest in localization and international sales.

🎤 From your perspective, what is the core value or purpose of the work you do?
Many people tend to think of international sales as being driven primarily by numbers, but I see the core value as the ability to build trust. Sales is inherently a long-term endeavor, and closing a deal often takes time — trust is essential throughout that process. It’s no different from how Korean consumers would hesitate to make a purchase abroad without trust.

The second key value is an interest in language and culture. While English is widely used in business, and it’s often said that in the Netherlands you can live and work entirely in English, I’ve found that there are still many people who either do not speak English or simply prefer not to use it. The same applies to countries like Germany and France — in France, for example, I encountered many people who genuinely did not speak English. Once you begin to understand a culture, you also start to understand how people work within it. That’s why, in international business, it’s critical to develop not only language proficiency but also a deep understanding of the local culture. Without that foundation, localization and market entry can become extremely challenging.

In short, the core values of international sales can be summarized as trust-building and a genuine interest in other cultures and languages.

🎤 What would you say are your distinctive strengths or areas of expertise in your field?
What I bring most strongly is cultural and localization insight — the ability to identify what truly resonates in a given market. I go beyond simple translation to deeply understand the cultural context and emotional nuance of a local audience, and from there, I craft messaging that not only reaches customers but actually converts.

For a product or service to succeed within a specific cultural context, it needs messaging that local consumers can relate to and respond to. When working on localization, I have a strong instinct for which tone, vocabulary, and storytelling approach will be most effective. This goes beyond language proficiency — it comes from a deeper understanding of culture and market dynamics. This becomes especially important in languages like Korean, where meaning and reception can shift significantly depending on context. Through my experience living and working across different countries, along with a sustained interest in cultural nuance, I’ve become highly adept at quickly decoding complex contexts and reconstructing messaging in a way that best aligns with local audiences. I see this as a core competency when it comes to optimizing global content for the Korean market.

Another key capability I bring is the ability to learn quickly and adapt — particularly in a way that aligns with the pace of the AI era. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, especially with the rise of AI, the ability to quickly absorb new knowledge and connect different domains is essential. One of the biggest assets I bring is the ability to learn, synthesize, and apply knowledge efficiently.

Whenever I take on a new language, I develop my own streamlined learning framework — focusing on core structures and patterns while removing unnecessary steps — so that I can quickly reach a level of practical communication and professional usability. I apply the same approach when learning new technologies or concepts. Rather than going deep into a single subject from the outset, I prefer to first build a broad map of knowledge, and then deepen my understanding as needed. Since my university years, I’ve audited a wide range of courses outside my major, including IT, humanities, and business. This breadth allows me to approach complex problems from a more creative perspective and to generate new value by connecting insights across different fields. This combination of fast learning and a broad knowledge base becomes especially powerful in an era where technologies like AI are reshaping entire industries — allowing me to quickly adapt to new tools and even create something new.

Finally, what sets me apart is my ability to build and expand meaningful relationships. This goes beyond simple sociability; it reflects a practical ability to identify opportunities and drive collaboration.

When I lived in Austin, during a time when the city was rapidly emerging as a major tech hub in the South, I actively attended tech and business networking events two to three times a week as an undergraduate. Through this experience, I learned how to build meaningful relationships with professionals from diverse backgrounds, and I’ve often been told that I have a natural ability to start conversations with new people. This has proven especially valuable in situations such as entering new markets, building partnerships, and identifying potential clients. At its core, business is ultimately about people.

🎤 Since you began your career in this industry, what has been the most significant change you have witnessed?
The emergence of AI has brought significant changes, and in my field, it has in some ways reduced margins and competitive advantages. While some argue that AI should not be used at all, it is realistically difficult to exclude it entirely. I choose to use AI as a tool, while relying on my own judgment to review and finalize the output. In international sales as well, AI has played a meaningful role in areas such as planning by significantly reducing time.

Amid these changes, what stands out to me most is that the importance of people has become even more pronounced.

🎤 How do you see artificial intelligence shaping your work or industry today? What new opportunities does it present, and what should professionals be mindful of as it advances?
While AI has contributed in many ways — including improvements in efficiency and pricing — it has also led to an increase in AI-related work, particularly in areas such as language tasks. As the pace of change accelerates, the risk of burnout also increases. We are constantly required to adapt, but humans are not machines — it is not realistic to keep up with or predict every change.

For that reason, I believe it is more important to focus on the fundamentals rather than competing with others or with other companies. This applies not only to my field but across industries. Of course, in areas such as developing new services, there is still room to grow in foundational approaches like building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

🎤 In such a fast-evolving environment, how do you continue to grow your expertise and leadership?
While I have had limited opportunities to develop leadership experience so far, I believe my expertise is being shaped significantly through my life in the Netherlands. As someone working in localization, I am directly experiencing the local environment and gaining a grounded understanding of how things operate here.

Although the Netherlands is often seen as a country where English is widely spoken, in reality there are still many people who do not use English. As I continue to learn from these cultural differences, I am actively exploring ways to provide more effective localization support.

Recently, interest in Korea has been rising significantly in the Netherlands. Compared to other European countries, the Netherlands has relatively stable economic conditions, and from my experience, the overall public safety and social environment feel stable as well. For Korean companies looking to expand globally, I believe the Netherlands can be an attractive market to consider.

If I were to support Korean companies entering the Dutch market, the process of researching and understanding local needs based on my on-the-ground experience would itself be an opportunity to further strengthen my expertise.

🎤 Over the next few years, what kind of impact would you most like to make in your industry?
The kind of impact I hope to make in this field is very clear. I want to establish myself as a bridge between Korea and Europe — particularly the Netherlands.

This is not simply about financial gain. I believe I have a strong specialization in connecting the two regions — whether that means introducing high-quality Korean content and products to Europe and adapting them to local language and culture, or bringing strong international offerings into Korea. In fact, I have already taken steps to build a business based on this vision.

At the moment, I am prioritizing employment in order to better understand the local landscape in the Netherlands. However, my long-term goal is to continue serving as a bridge between Korea and Europe, helping Korean products successfully enter the European market, and ultimately becoming recognized as a leading name in this space.