After graduating from Carleton in 2011, CAMS major Sung Hyo Kim (Hyo) returned to his home country of South Korea to complete his mandatory national service. Last year Hyo was reassigned to the Ministry of National Defense, where he has been coordinating and translating agreements on the command structure between the South Korean and United States military, work which occasionally brings him to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Another part of Hyo’s work as an interpreting officer entails facilitating discussions concerning North Korea. “It’s interesting to see how the North Korean society has been affected by the influx of news and culture from the outside world, despite the regime’s continued attempt to control it,” Hyo remarks. As a CAMS major, Hyo has been particularly attuned to the political fallout surrounding the release of The Interview, the controversial film starring Seth Rogan and James Franco, and has translated remarks between Korean and U.S. military officials regarding the film. “Setting aside the matter of the film’s quality, this is a great example of how a single film can create unexpected ripple effects beyond the film industry, and even induce chain reactions from various stakeholders at the government level concerning North Korea.” Hyo’s two and a half years of national service in Korea has inspired his interest in pursuing a law degree. When he finishes his service at the end of June, he promises to fly back to the states to visit his friends at Carleton. Pictured above: Hyo at Panmanjon, on the border between South and North Korea.