Recently, there has been a job spotlighted by the case of Kim Gil-tae. That is profiler. Thirty-nine profilers are in Korea now. Profiling was just settled as a professional job 5 years ago. It is in its beginning stage. Therefore, there are few people who know what a profiler is in detail. In this issue, CBT met Hong Hee-sun, a profiler. -ED
  What profilers do
  Intelligibly, a profiler is a police officer whose major is psychology or sociology. Like other police officers, when a crime occurs, we go to the crime scene and investigate. We take part in the investigation from beginning to end. In detail, we grasp the information like the situation of the crime scene. After putting them together, we describe the person who committed the crime and the suspect's activity patterns, and then we present a direction for the investigation. When a suspect is arrested, we interview him/her and get information like background, mental state, and stress level. Then, we try to find out the motive for the offense and build a database.
  How to become a profiler
  For becoming a profiler, it is good for you to major in psychology or sociology because there is a standard that candidates for profiler have to take a minimum number of credits in psychology or sociology. When you pass the exam, you will receive 6 months of training, which consists of techniques like repressive measures and how to make an arrest. At that time, successful applicants also learn the law and police work. After that, they are assigned to a department and start their work on the front lines.
  Hard things
  Through the interviews with criminals, we try to discover why they committed crimes. For this, we listen to their stories and try to realize their situations and understand their minds. This is hard because the interview time is usually only allotted for about 3-4 hours. In addition to this, in fact, it is difficult to understand their mentality and to think like a criminal. It devastates a profiler's mind. Problems like continually staying up all night can be overcome by rest, but psychological problems are hard to cure.
  Working as a woman profiler
  There are fixed questions for criminals. One of them is about sex. Sometimes, I become uncomfortable because I am also a woman. However, I don't express that feeling since my reactions can make the offender hesitate to talk. Although criminals talk about things we don't like, profilers endure this, so it is tough. However, surprisingly, this can be advantageous because male offenders usually talk more to a woman profiler than to a man, especially concerning sexual activities, so a woman profiler can draw their story from him.
  Advice to CBNU students
  Although I didn't feel the importance of studying when I was a student, I want to tell you to study hard. As I experience my working life, I realize that is important. After making preparations for what you want through your studies, you can catch the opportunity when it comes. Studying hard means building a foundation which can help you. Therefore, study hard for your dream.