By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

Annyeong haseyo (안녕하세요)!

Hallyu, or Korea’s brand of pop culture that has surged forward as a global phenomenon in recent years, now forms a major part of the Filipino lifestyle, as food, music, films, and other products of the East Asian nation’s creative industries made their way onto domestic shores.

But is there more to Korean culture than these exports consumed by Filipinos? This question served as the focal point of the K-Wave!: Korean-Filipino Youth for Cultural Diplomacy Event that unfolded at the Korean Cultural Center, Taguig City on Friday, December 12.

The event commenced with a welcome message from Mr. Myeongjin Kim, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, who reminded the 50 Filipino youth ambassadors (ASEAN Youth Organization-PH members and non-members) from different regions of the country of their responsibility as stewards of cultural diplomacy.

DFA’s Director of the Office of ASEAN Affairs Bolivar Bao delivered his keynote speech, where he hailed the long-standing multilateral ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea (ROK), born from decades of cultural exchanges that have nurtured both nations.

Bao said in his remarks, “ROK has been actively engaging in ASEAN-led initiatives, especially, as I said, engagement through the ASEAN Museum Meeting on Youth Plus Three and the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials Meeting on Youth, giving us the opportunity to exchange views on advancing people-to-people exchanges, youth entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and digital literacy.”

A deep dive into the dynamics of Hallyu

This was preceded by a knowledge-sharing session led by UP Arirang President Amira Belle Salas, which revolved around answering this question:

“Puro ka na lang Korea. Bakit hindi mo naman tangkilikin ang sariling atin?”

Salas went on to answer this query by addressing misconceptions that some would associate with the increasing presence and prevalence of Korean culture in various domains of the Philippine zeitgeist.

She began by encouraging youth ambassadors to frame the Korean Wave as an eye-opener in retracing the roots of the Filipinos’ core identity and how it resembles some aspects of the East Asian nation’s history.

The UP Arirang President went on to discuss the principle of reclaiming Filipino pride through comparison, reflection, and creative response to Korea’s Hallyu, which broke the longstanding dominance and prevalence of Western influences in music, films, food, and other such cultural exports.

Salas addressed the young audience, “The Korean wave became a point of reflection. It pushed us to ask, how about us? What do we love about our own culture? What can we learn from it? It encouraged us to be more supportive of our local industries.”

She added further, citing examples in the local film and music industry that were generated in response to this phenomenon, “Because of Korea’s cultural strategy, we Filipinos now know that we deserve more media representation, better production quality, and more diverse stories.”

Salas wrapped up her discussion by stressing that Filipino youth can now be considered as diplomats, using the power of social media and mastery of digital technologies to serve as agents of change, dialogue, and connection across borders.

“Let your love for Korean culture push you to love your own even more deeply. Let it sharpen your sense of identity and not blur it. Let it guide you towards collaboration, creativity, and community building.”

How it all began

Salas’ lecture on viewing the Korean Wave as a mirror of one’s identity as a Filipino was followed by a historical overview on how the Philippines forged ties with the East Asian nation, courtesy of Venus Janelle Samonte, research fellow at the University of the Philippines Korea Research Center.

Samonte opened up the discussion by citing two important figures—Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon (first Korean Catholic priest who studied in the country) and Moon Sun-Deok (first Korean to learn the Philippine language)—as the catalysts for the decades-long collaboration between the two nations.

She went on to tackle the Filipinos’ participation in the Korean War in 1950, courtesy of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), which was formed in accordance with the United Nations’ intervention in the conflict.

A total of 7,420 personnel took part in battlefield operations, with 116 killed in action, 299 wounded, and 57 missing (41 of whom were repatriated during prisoner-of-war exchanges).

This is considered the first instance of a sustained interaction between the citizens of both countries, which eventually led to multiple forms of post-war exchanges in the wake of the Korean War and two World Wars.

The UP Korea Research Center fellow shared, “The Korean students began studying in the Philippines as early as that time, which they took advantage of the English-medium instruction and the relatively more affordable education.”

She added further, noting such as a breakthrough for bilateral cultural diplomacy, “Technical cooperation agreements placed Filipino engineers, teachers, and specialists in Korean reconstruction efforts. These interactions produced repeated contact zones that normalized cross-cultural exchanges. This period is where cultural diplomacy began to perform.”

Samonte capped off her lecture by summing up the enduring ties between the Philippines and ROK as a byproduct of early individual encounters and wartime solidarity, which paved the way for postwar reconstruction, institutional expansion, and late-century integration.

Exhibit tour and workshop proper

After the youth ambassadors engaged in constructive exchanges at an open forum and ate lunch together, they embarked on a guided tour of the Korean Cultural Center, in which the tour guide showcased various facilities inside the building, as well as the showcase of various artifacts from the East Asian nation.

The participants had a glimpse at the cooking classroom, studio, and the library within the compound, where one can be immersed in various aspects of Korean culture—from one that satisfies hunger to one that feeds the gut.

They also gandered at shelves and glass boxes that lined the halls, where they learned more about clothing, literature, artifacts, and arts and crafts that define ROK’s distinct identity.

The youth ambassadors, moreover, engaged in two interactive booths—one which allowed them to envision themselves wearing Hanbok (Korea’s national clothing), and the other providing them the opportunity to write their names in Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and pose for a photo with peers.

After the museum tour, the participants reconvened in the session hall to attend the Innovation Challenge workshop, where youth ambassadors were tasked with formulating an action plan on how to bring cultural diplomacy to isolated and far-flung areas across the archipelago.

Divided into 5 groups, each presented their unique approach to empowering Filipino youth as agents of change that can drive Philippine culture, arts, and tradition to new heights on par with players on the international stage.

The Hour of Code workshop rounded off the exhaustive list of activities as part of the K-Wave! Event where AYO Philippines encouraged participants to interact with an AI model that is being trained to improve the accuracy and credibility of its responses to queries set by the master trainers.

The event culminated with a few words of wisdom from AYO – Philippines Program Manager Rosken Casiano, who reminded the cultural ambassadors of their role as stewards and forebears of the country’s vibrant and colorful heritage with the potential to thrive in the same field with global counterparts.

Kamsahamnida (감사합니다)!

-av/avds