"The marginalized Deaf felt emotional as they seemed to receive equal treatment"

Professional Sign Language Interpreter Eunmi Go
Receives Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Plaque for Contribution to K-Quarantine
Public Sign Language Interpreters Active for 22,260 Minutes Delivering COVID-19 Information

Public sign language interpreter Eunmi Go is interpreting sign language at a government briefing.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] "This is the first time that sign language interpretation has appeared so prominently on the broadcast screen. Deaf people are very satisfied with receiving information equally."

Go Eun-mi, a professional sign language interpreter with 22 years of experience, said on the 13th after receiving a plaque of appreciation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Government Sejong Complex, "Sign language had been marginalized and suppressed, but now seeing it used confidently and developing makes me emotional."

Go is one of the public sign language interpreters supporting government ministry briefings since December 2 last year. Among about 1,800 sign language interpreters who passed the exam administered by the Korea Association of the Deaf, 10, including Go, work for the government and local governments.

With the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), from January this year, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Central Disease Control Headquarters have held briefings twice daily to explain the status of confirmed cases and quarantine measures, making public sign language interpreters busier. By the end of June, there were a total of 435 public sign language interpretation cases, of which 371 (85%) were related to COVID-19 briefings. Considering that each briefing lasts about 60 minutes, the total time sign language interpreters spent delivering COVID-19 related news to the deaf reached 22,260 minutes.

Go said, "New words and technical terms often appear in COVID-19 briefings," and introduced, "We check the content 10 minutes before the briefing starts to prepare, and continuously share information on how to interpret it in sign language through group messenger chats with other interpreters." She added with a smile, "I also keep up with the flow by searching for policy-related news and information, and now I can somewhat anticipate and prepare for the Q&A sessions during the briefings."

She emphasized, "When deaf people speak positively about our country's COVID-19 response, it gives me strength." Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo also encouraged, saying, "I heard that deaf people abroad envy our country's sign language interpretation during briefings," and added, "As a leading figure in 'K-quarantine,' we expect greater achievements from sign language interpreters."

Public sign language interpreters proposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism the need for sign language interpretation in major broadcasters' 9 o'clock news, mandatory employment of sign language interpreters in general hospitals, and expansion of sign language education for the general public. Minister Park promised, "We will consult with related departments and actively improve the suggestions for enhancing the status of sign language and protecting the rights of the deaf." He also added, "I hope a sign language-only broadcasting channel specializing in sign language will be established."