Christian L. De Jesus, first secretary and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, gives an interview during the program

"The youth now are leaders tomorrow,” said Christian L. De Jesus, first secretary and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, when discussing how crucial the younger generation is to relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea and how both sides can improve Korea's bilateral ties with both the Philippines and ASEAN in the years to come.

In an Oct. 16 interview on the ASEAN-Korea Train, De Jesus, who arrived in Korea 2 1/2 years ago, said he has an admiration for Korean culture, language and Hallyu including top stars such as BTS and Blackpink.

Youth role in people-to-people exchange

Korea's New Southern Policy, which is focused on people-to-people exchanges to foster regional peace and prosperity under the principles of the "3Ps," requires more youth involvement in strengthening such exchanges and bilateral relations, he said. With ASEAN member nations having over 213 million youth and Korea 8.7 million, the official called active youth participation a "catalyst" for ASEAN-Korea cooperation and a "huge help" in encouraging more people to get involved with people-to-people exchanges.

Trendsetting via online media and Hallyu

De Jesus emphasized the promotion of Philippine and Korean youth exchanges through informal and formal settings. Platforms such as social media, the internet and media boards can help promote these exchanges, he said, mentioning how Koreans run vlogs and blogs about the Philippines, just like how Filipinos do the same about Hallyu on Facebook, YouTube, Naver and other sites.

"Even though it may seem like a personal thing for them to upload videos on social media, that's precisely the generation that we have now, the youth. That's how they communicate. That's how they connect. And by continuing these people-to-people exchanges, as I said, not only on an official level but on a personal level, I think we can only see more cooperation," he said.

“So with the links, cooperation and the good relations between ASEAN and Korean youths, I am confident that future relations will become even better."

He cited as an example the 2017 summer package of BTS on the beautiful Philippine island of Coron, which fueled the interest of fans and more tourists to visit the island, its nearby provinces, Cebu and other beaches. Statistics also show an annual increase of Korean tourist arrivals in the Philippines, a figure that reached almost 1.6 million in 2018. This year, the Philippine Embassy said the goal is two million.

70 years of diplomatic ties

This year marks the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations. To mark this occasion, the Philippine Embassy in Seoul has hosted celebratory events including a cultural and education program for Korean youths in July and August on Philippine culture, food and language. On Sept. 29, the embassy also held a Filipino-language public speaking contest that attracted competitors from Korean elementary to high schools. In Manila, the Korean Embassy also ran programs to promote cultural and bilateral exchanges.

Youth participation in ASEAN activities

The ASEAN-Korea Centre in Seoul, whose executive board De Jesus is a member of, has urged Korean youths to participate more in ASEAN activities and raise their awareness of the region under the New Southern Policy.

De Jesus said, "By that I mean the challenges that may exist. Obviously we're not connected by land, we have different languages and cultures. But because of this vision of being together, (we can move) forward together. And I'm confident that even after this year and in the coming years, ASEAN and Korea's relationship will continue to (bear) solid fruit as far as people-to-people exchanges and extend beyond that when it comes to trade and other bilateral relations."

For aspiring Philippine diplomats

For Philippine youths interested in a career in diplomacy and international relations, De Jesus suggested that they click dfa.gov.ph to get a head start on that path.

"As a Philippine diplomat in Korea, I can tell you that the work that we do may not be seen by the public all the time or may not appear on social media all the time, but it's very fulfilling because what we do is touch not only the lives of people but also link together our countries," he said.

Message for Philippine and ASEAN youths

"For Filipino youths in Korea, I want to let them know that the Philippine Embassy is here, and we wish to partner with our youths here who are scholars mostly. We have almost 600 Philippine youth scholars here in Korea. And, there are many avenues and projects we could partner with along with our Korean counterparts so that their voices may be heard. And we know that the ideas of our youths will be the policies of tomorrow," he said.

"I’d like to know their dreams and wishes for the future of Philippine-Korean relations. Maybe I have the same wish for ASEAN youths. As you know, ASEAN continues to grow stronger. And as we grow stronger, all ten ASEAN countries need to partner up with good friends, especially Korea, not only for ASEAN but for the region and the international community. I think by the example set by ASEAN-Korea relations, we have seen that through cooperation, understanding and people-to-people exchanges, we can do many wonderful things. So I'm eager to see how that will unfold and I'm optimistic that it will only get better."



chaey0726@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.