A stately profession

Jose Paul Corona

Julie Chung has a hard time explaining to people exactly what she

does.

She could say that she works for the State Department, but she’s

learned that that only seems to confuse people.

Her job title alone can be confusing: Korea desk officer, Agreed

Framework Division at the State Department in Washington D.C.

So she tells them she’s a diplomat.

It’s not a lie. And she isn’t embellishing her job either, it’s

just easier to say that to people than to try and explain the

intricacies of her job.

The Surf City native and Marina High School graduate has been

working in the foreign service for the past six years and even though

it has forced her to make a number of sacrifices, she doesn’t regret

her chosen profession.

She’s worked in China and Japan. She’s traveled to Korea and

Cambodia. She’s even scuba dived in Fiji.

“I’ve got a very thick passport,” Chang said with a smile.

That’s not bad considering that she is only 30.

Her job has allowed her to rub shoulders with some the chief

executives of some of America’s largest corporations. She’s met

presidents of foreign countries and even actor Freddie Prinze Jr.

Chung helped the movie star get a new passport when he lost it

while he was in Tokyo.

When she tells people that she’s a diplomat many people get the

wrong idea, Chung said.

“There’s this image of cocktail parties and a life of luxury and

that’s not it,” she said matter-of-factly when describing her job.

As an economics officer, Chung is a corporate diplomat who works

with local business leaders and economic ministers as well as

American and international companies.

She’s currently working with the Korean Energy Development Corp.

and U.S. Government on a project that will help provide the country

with a reliable energy source.

Not only does she help to formulate and promote economic policy

with foreign governments, but she also looks out for U.S. citizens.

“A large part of the job is taking care of Americans in crisis

abroad,” Chung said.

She’s been to more than one jail to visit U.S. citizens who have

gotten themselves into trouble.

Americans are often ignorant of laws in the countries that they

visit and this can get them into trouble, Chung said.

They also think that the fact that they are U.S. citizens makes

them immune to those laws, Chung said.

“That blue passport won’t get you out of jail,” she said.

The world doesn’t center around the U.S., Chung added.

“I think something we forget is that our world is bigger than our

immediate surroundings,” she said.

Even though her family misses her greatly, they are proud of her.

“I always knew that she was going to do something big,” said

Connie Chung, Julie’s younger sister.

“I never knew that this kind of job existed,” she added. “It’s

just cool to hear her stories about her travels abroad.”

Her sister has always had a “global vision” and it looks like she

found the perfect job, Connie Chung said.

Julie Chung says that she always wanted to do something that would

allow her to travel abroad.

But she also wanted more.

“I wanted to do something to serve my country,” she says.