By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Diana Kassandra A. Almarez from the Philippines
Photos = Diana Kassandra A. Almarez

This past summer, I achieved a dream by visiting Korea for the first time. I was a delegate of the Philippines at the Asia Student Summit: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders in Asia, a five-day youth leadership conference running July 16-22 and organized by the International Global Network.

The purpose of the event was to expand the perspective of participants about education and careers, specifically in Korea, and how to assess and set one’s passion and goals to make better decisions in education and career.

Months before the program started, everyone from the Philippine delegation got to know one another. We assisted each other in booking flights and applying for visas, prepared for cultural performances and planned to extend our stays after the conference. Certain delegates went to Korea early and the rest, including myself, flew to Korea on the morning of the conference’s opening day, July 16.

On the first day, we met our assigned groupmates and then attended a welcoming dinner. I was grouped with fellow youth leaders Dionne, a Philippine compatriot; Dharna and Hemi from India; Rufia, Ainur, Nilam and Rachel from Indonesia; Ege from Turkey; and Reaksmeay from Cambodia. We did a group cheer and chose our assigned topics for the essay and presentation slated for the fourth day, July 19.

The topics were all about Korean basics such as military service, food, fashion and education. The goal was to learn more about the many aspects of Korean culture and how they differed from those of the participants’ countries and were related to our own experiences. My group started preparing for our presentation after the welcoming program. We set up a routine to work on it for the next two days, so that meant we got little sleep during the conference.

On the second day, we toured the campuses of Kyung Hee University and Seoul National University (SNU) to learn about their backgrounds and education opportunities. I was amazed when I set foot in both schools because they were considerably different from Philippine universities. The huge campuses featured beautiful buildings and fountains and clean and peaceful landscapes; I was simply struck with awe.



After visiting these two schools, we went to the Seoul Global Cultural Center in the downtown Seoul district of Myeongdong to attend a seminar on passion, college life in Korea and careers abroad. I found the talks very inspiring to young people like me because it made me dig deeper into what my passion and career aspirations are. Two of the speakers were also Filipinos, further piquing my interest.

The first Filipino speaker, Nicky Juanite, was a music student attending SNU who shared insights on her studies in Korea. I listened intently to her talk because I had also dreamed of studying in Korea since high school. She showed that college life abroad is not all butterflies and rainbows but also includes hardships and challenges. Korea has one of the world’s most competitive educational systems, and struggle, intensive study and a lot of hard work are needed to earn a degree there. The ability to survive no matter what country one is in is the key to living abroad.

The second Filipino speaker, Erjo Coscolluela, was vice chairman of the ASEAN Youth Network in Korea (AYNK). He talked about his organization, whose purpose is to strengthen cooperation between member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea, and the opportunities for ASEAN youth in Korea. He spoke of AYNK’s exciting programs for ASEAN students and individuals and encouraged participants to join programs to develop our skills and leadership.

The third day of the conference was more laid back than the first two because attendees visited KBS On and Samsung D'light and also went on a traditional Korean tour of Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung Palace. We tried digital activities at Samsung D’light using Samsung's latest electronics. At KBS On, we were shown an array of broadcast facilities and equipment. We even tried our hand at dubbing Korean cartoons, hosting music shows and reporting news. Then it was on to the traditional Korean tour of the palace Gyeongbokgung. We toured the castle compound and took goofy pictures with my group. Because of time constraints, we could not explore all of it but all of us still had fun in discovering traditional Korean treasures.

After these fun activities, everyone prepared for the group presentations and cultural performances slated for the next day. This was the most tiring day of all because we needed to finish everything that night for an early start the next morning. Still, we managed to pull it off well the next day.

The final day, July 19, featured a jam-packed schedule of a symposium, awarding of certificates, group presentations and cultural performances. First, the groups gave presentations on their assigned subjects. Second, a symposium featured topics on entrepreneurship, culture and infrastructure for sustainable leadership. My favorite presentation was “The Revolution of Korea as an Innovative Nation” by Brendan Howe, associate dean of Ewha Womans University, because the topic was related to my major. He discussed Korea's soft power and public diplomacy initiatives as well as the country’s "principled, niche, middle-power diplomacy."

The conference finally ended with the highly anticipated cultural performances and awarding of certificates. The Philippines was ready to dominate the stage as we proudly waved our flags when it was our country's turn to perform. Select Philippine delegates performed Lapay Bantigue, a Philippine folk dance that imitated the hovering of seagulls. After an exciting but busy final day, we headed back to the hotel tired and sleepy but still needing to pack since we had to leave the venue by Friday morning (July 20). Several of my Philippine co-delegates and myself were lucky enough to extend our stays in Korea.

I will fondly treasure this conference because through this event, I not only achieved my dream of visiting Korea, but I also went with a more useful purpose: to learn more about Korea and proudly represent the Philippines. This memorable experience allowed all of us to not just explore Korea but also dig deeper into ourselves as individuals and citizens of the world. The sleepless nights during the conference were all worth it because we brought back home fond memories, knowledge and friendships to last our lifetimes.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.