An Asiana Airlines flight attendant has become a French government-authorized sommelier, a first for a Korean cabin crewmember.

Park Hye-ju, a 31-year-old assistant purser, entered Cafa Formations, a wine school in Bordeaux, in September 2006, under the airline's program to help its workers take MBA courses for the service sector at foreign schools.

After the nine-month course, she passed the test for la Mention Complementaire de Sommelier (M.C. Sommelier), which the French government certifies.

Park, a graduate of Kyungpook National University's French literature department, said that she has been interested in things related to France, and that her interest in wine and desire to study led her to take the course.

Cafa Formations, established in 1986, trains hospitality experts for hotels and restaurants and provides consulting about wine. It opened sommelier education courses in 1993.

Park now spends less time flying and more time giving lectures on wine to other flight attendants. She will also take part in the carrier's wine selection process for in-flight drinks, according to Asiana.

She said that a red Bordeaux Medoc goes well with Asiana business class' steak, and a white Bourgogne matches the fish dish entree.

"Passengers used to drink any wine flight attendants recommended a few years ago. But with people's interest in wine growing, they now ask us to serve specific kinds of wine," Park said.

She added she still has a lot to study, as she needs to know about wine from countries other than France.

M.C. Sommelier is a French state exam that those with more than three years of experience at restaurants can apply for. Those who can pass a French oral and written exam on wine and a three-stage practical test can get the certificate.

The practical test comprises of decanting, champagne opening, blind wine tasting and matching foods and wine. About 400 people obtain the M.C. Sommelier certificate per year and only 3 percent of them are foreigners.

According to Asiana, a total of 17 Koreans including Park have obtained certificates through the course - the rest are working at hotels and wine shops.

Photograph: Park Hye-ju, Asiana Airlines assistant purser, gives a lecture on wine to flight attendants on an Asiana plane.