"I feel really lucky to have been able to learn about all kinds of cultures growing up," she relates with a easy smile. "My parents still taught me about Korean culture, of course, and I can speak the language, but being in the United States has taught me a lot as well about being independent and, of course, speaking English. Not to mention, I always hold Manila dear to my heart as the land where I was born. I’m actually excited to be back after all these years to get to know it again."
It has been over a decade since Christine last set foot on our sunny Manila shores and in the time she has been away she has accomplished quite a bit for one so young. Early on in her life her father, Ki Tae, a Hwa Rang Do instructor, taught her the martial art and ever since then instilled in her an athleticism that she carries to this day. And although Hwa Rang Do will always be close to her heart, this martial arts beauty is, at present, exploring a sport quite the opposite of the one she did in her youth. Though one would hardly think it considering her smooth pearly skin, this dedicated 19-year-old spends hours and hours under the hot sun pursuing her current passion, golf.
"I know it’s not the common sport for young people to play, but I really love it," she says, her eyes lighting up. "My father actually inspired me to get into it. He loves golf and his passion was addicting. I got into the sport when I was 12." And it wasn’t a passing fancy. Christine has indeed taken golf the distance with her family, even moving from New Jersey to Florida to allow her to pursue her sport. At the time this "now professional golfer" was accepted into the David Leadbetter Golf Academy where she was a scholarship student during her four years of high school.
"I really loved taking up golf during high school although the dedication it required was quite intense," she adds. "Every morning we would get up and have academic school from eight in the morning until 12 noon. Then afterwards, we practiced golf for the afternoon until five and after that we did physical training at the IPI (International Performance Institute) until the evening. It was quite intense but I really learned a lot."
Christine has achieved a lot already in her golf career. She began as a junior golfer and competed until she entered the Amateur Circuit where she won several accolades including being a Medallist for the Amateur Qualifiers and winning the FCWT (Future Collegiate World Tour) just to name a few. In 2006, she entered the pro circuit and has been playing ever since, accepting a golf scholarship to Monmouth University studying physical therapy back in New Jersey.
"I really love golf," Christine asserts. "But right now I’ve been weighing my options in terms of what I want to pursue in the next few years of my life. I injured my shoulder playing golf so now I’m finally back in Manila and I’ve had some time off competing to think about what else I want to achieve."
For, although golf is a very important part of life, Christine wants to spread her wings even further and possibly pursue her other passion: acting. "I’m also taking acting as a minor at university," she excitedly explains. "I’ve always loved it and I’m thinking that now may be a good time for me to pursue it. Being back here in Manila has actually opened my eyes to the possibility and seeing the influx of Korean talent and how warmly Korean soap operas are being received here is really great inspiration. She adds that it would, indeed, be a dream come true for her to be able to come back to her homeland and pursue an acting career. And being a woman of action and not just words while she was in Manila, between frequent shopping trips, this hard-working young woman auditioned at prominent local networks and is hoping for positive feedback.
"I kind of feel that I am at a crossroads in my life right now and I’m both excited and scared thinking about what I want to do in the future," she relates. "I still definitely want to keep golf a part of my life, but I also want to broaden my horizons and try new things  if not acting, which I really want to pursue, then perhaps really a career in physical therapy which is my major in college. In the meantime, though, I don’t mind just having fun and enjoying the normal things that teenagers enjoy like hanging out with my friends and family and even just enjoying my vacation. I’ve had a great time in the Philippines and I can definitely see the possibility of coming back."
The Philippines not only holds endless possibilities; it also is the home to much of Christine’s family, including aunts and cousins she hasn’t seen in over a decade. "It’s been really good being able to spend time with my family again. My mom and I have really enjoyed being with aunt and eating at her restaurant here in Makati. It’s kind of a throwback because my mom and grandmother used to have a restaurant in Manila as well way back before I was born. That was actually how she and my father met." And now it’s come almost full circle as she enjoys her favorite dishes at the delicious Korean restaurant her aunt runs, Lee Jo along Orion Street in Bel-Air. When asked about her favorite dishes her eyes light up instantly. "Oh, I love Korean food," she says with a smile. "Everyone should try it. I particularly recommend the Bossam (boiled pork and kimchi), or the famous Bulgogi (beef) and Jap Chae (noodles)," she says.
It is evident that though she has embraced several other cultures, Christine is still very much Korean and is proud of the evolution of Koreans both in the Philippines and other parts of the world. She is happy to be adding her own achievements to the mix and looks forward to further broadening their scope and success. Christine Yum is certainly one name worth remembering as this 19-turning-20-year-old is definitely set to conquer the world. Be it on the golf greens or through the healing hand of PT or through the TV sets of millions she’s going to make sure she leaves a mark. But in the meantime, Christine is content enjoying herself with friends and family and basically just loving her life.