Byun Young-jae, an interpreter at the Korea Gas Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Byun Young-jae), is a veteran who has worked in the basketball world for more than 10 years. What he gained the most in the basketball world was ’emotions’. To be more specific, it was ‘happiness, anger, sorrow’ that he felt with the team. This is because various emotions like the team gave Byun Young-jae, an interpreter, satisfaction on behalf of him.
The title above is one of the famous lines of former Orion coach Kang Eul-joon. Because Byun’s interpretation is the subject of this article, someone may take the above words out of the blue.
But if you dig into the background, you can understand it to some extent. When Kang was at the helm of Changwon LG in the 2010-2011 season, Byun Young-jae, an interpreter, joined the LG squad.
Crucially, it was Kang’s timeout. “We said we didn’t need a hero! Seongri (victory) comes first! When a hero comes forward,” Byun didn’t give any variations. What he said to foreign players was, “We don’t need a superstar here.”
Since 2010, he has stepped into the basketball world as an interpreter for Changwon LG.
Before I translated, I was working for an overseas marketing company. My younger brother happened to be looking for a job. He told me, “Hey, I’m getting an interpreter from the LG basketball team.” So I submitted my application without changing my mind. My favorite sport is basketball, and I really wanted to try it out.
I don’t think my interpreting life would have been easy.
The basketball terms were not difficult, and communication with foreign players was not difficult. However, the communication with the athletes was a little different. Also, when my team called for a timeout, I had to let the players know exactly what the team was doing. I had to let them know so that they could behave correctly after the timeout. It was more of an explanation, not an interpretation. I think I learned those things in the first season.
Director Kang Eul-joon left a famous saying, “We don’t need a hero.” He translated, “We don’t need a superstar here.”
I thought I should convey the director’s intention as it is. I decided that I should interpret it directly rather than turn it around. I thought that doing so would be a way to express the director’s intention 100%.
Director Kang Eul-joon’s comments and interpreter’s translation are still popular.
Back then, I had no idea. (laughs) I was overwhelmed by the thought of, “How can I deliver this well? How can I get the players to understand this?” That’s how busy I was back then.
Byun Young-jae, an interpreter, spent some time at Changwon LG. Then, in 2013, he moved to Incheon Electronic Land (currently Daegu Korea Gas Corporation). He even took charge of international affairs there. His weight has increased even more.
Byun spent a long time in Incheon. He worked with Yoo for a long time. He also left unforgettable scenes for Yoo. In particular, Yoo’s instructions, “Leave Shin Myung-ho,” are still being talked about.
How did you join E-Land?
I received recommendations from people around me, and I was contacted by the e-Land Secretariat. And I was living in Incheon, and my first child was just born then.
When I was working at LG, I couldn’t see my child because of the long commuting time, but E-Land was close to home. So, the condition of going back and forth from home to the gym was satisfied. The club also thought of that.
I think you also felt the difference from LG.
Coach Yu always emphasized, “Before something happens, it’s important to prevent it.” He also told me, “Take the initiative in the given tasks.” So I tried to take the initiative in my tasks, such as scouting foreign players and negotiating foreign player salaries. It was the same with managing foreign players.
As you said, you have been with Director Yu Do-hoon for a long time.
He stressed, “Anyone can deal with it after it happens. You have to be able to prevent problems.” And when you run into a problem, you want to be prepared by ‘PLANE.’ That’s why I think I’ve developed a habit of checking beforehand. Thanks to Coach Yu Do-hoon, I think I’ve gotten into those habits.
Out of the blue, how did you translate “Leave Shin Myung-ho”?
I don’t remember exactly, but I probably said, “Let No.17 shoot. No matter what you just don’t guard him.” Because it’s an operation, I think I expressed it directly.
After the 2020-2021 season, E-Land announced the end of its professional basketball team. The company that acquired E-Land was Korea Gas Corporation. The Daegu-based Korea Gas Corporation established a professional basketball team under the name of “Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus.”
His hometown has changed. The same was true of the secretariat. And coach Yoo Do-hoon, who had led the team for more than 10 years since his time at E-Land, stepped down after the end of the 2022-2023 season. Kang Hyuk, who was a second coach, is leading the 2023-2024 season as acting coach. Byun Young-jae, an interpreter, also faced a number of changes over the past three years from 2021.
Electronic Land has declared the end of the professional basketball team’s operation. Korea Gas Corporation has become the new owner.
A new parent company ran our basketball team, and a new city became our home. The coach and the coaching staff both had to walk down difficult roads. But for my own benefit, I couldn’t be left alone. Also, I didn’t negotiate with KGC about my salary. The secretariat said, “I’ll take what you give me. I’ll share the pain with the team.”
The place of origin and the office are different, so I think the change that the interpreter felt would have been great.
The gym and other infrastructure weren’t maintained, so we had to fit everything one by one. We had to operate various plans for details like restaurants. The players probably had a hard time.
The secretariat must have been very difficult. It was my first time working on a basketball team. It also required coordinating between the secretariat and the teams. Both the secretariat and the teams had to re-set the standards. It took a long time.
In addition, coach Yoo Do-hoon also stepped down after the end of the 2022-2023 season.
I thought, “I don’t think my team’s performance was good because I wasn’t able to assist properly.” I reflected on my lack of skills. And I felt really sorry for not being able to empower the coach. I think two to three months was really difficult.
Coach Kang Hyuk has been appointed as acting coach. What did you order from the interpreter?
During the off-season, he created an atmosphere where foreign and domestic players were united, starting with defensive training. However, even before the 2023-2024 season started, the composition of foreign players collapsed. Aijia Hicks, an optional foreign player, injured her Achilles tendon in a cup competition. As a result, we had to suddenly replace a foreign player.
However, the coach put a lot of effort into communicating with the entire team. He put a lot of time into communication. I also thought, ‘Foreign players and existing teams have to trust each other. The entire team, including foreign players, should unite as one.’ So I tried to communicate well between the coaching staff and foreign players and domestic players. All the members of the team put a lot of effort into it, so I think the trust between the coach and the foreign players has been strengthened.
Byun Young-jae, an interpreter, devoted his youth to professional basketball. Despite many changes on the court, he remained in his position. As an interpreter and international affairs manager, he accumulated a lot of data.
However, what was important to Byun was not the “data.” It was the “emotions” that he felt among the players. Thanks to the emotions he shared with the players, he felt the biggest happiness.
“Foreign players have their own specialties. I hope the fans understand that.” He didn’t mean to say, “Please put foreign players first.” He meant, “Please support foreign players as well.”
During your time as an interpreter, what did you get?
It’s really hard to do what I like to do under happy conditions. I’m very satisfied in that sense. Basketball is my favorite sport.
However, what I got the most was that I felt the joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure of the team as a member of the team. Although I have never played the sport of my dreams, I am vicariously satisfied as a member of the team. It is my greatest happiness.
What is your goal as an interpreter?토토사이트
A year repeats itself in the same pattern, but what needs to be done varies at the end of each season. Accordingly, I have to do my job well.
I’m curious about the specific meaning.
Foreign players need to understand his intentions a little more, and he and foreign players need to be more connected. I need to play a good role in the middle so that that kind of relationship can be formed. I think that’s a goal that we have to achieve anew every season.
Lastly, please say something to the basketball fans.
Most foreign players have had one dream since they were young: basketball. They gave their all to basketball even in a difficult environment. Even though they did not achieve as many dreams as they wanted, they developed themselves abroad.
Although they are different in our culture, there are many things in our eyes that feel something different. It is clear, however, that they are struggling abroad. So, even if they cannot show my performance, I hope the fans cheer them up a lot. I hope they understand the peculiarity of only foreign players. If that happens, foreign players will understand their fans’ feelings. It will give them a lot of motivation.