Basila participates in 2025 YCAFE

BA Lingg (Plan C – Korean) major Sabel Basila recently participated in the 2025 Youth Camp for ASEAN and Friends’ Engagement (YCAFE) Program in South Korea. Read on to learn more about her experience!

What is the 2025 YCAFE Program? 

The 2025 Youth Camp for ASEAN and Friends’ Engagement (YCAFE) Program ran for one week, spanning from 03 August to 08 August 8 2025. There were a total of 44 participants from 12 countries, including South Korea and ASEAN countries. Although the stay and seminars were mostly at the Orakai Daehakro Hotel, event programs and cultural activities were held at different places in Seoul, such as the Shilla Hotel, National Museum of Korea, Hangang River, Jamsil Stadium, Gwangjang Market, Myeongdong, and more. By the end of the program, the participants in teams presented policy suggestions to improve the ASEAN-ROK relations in consideration of the insights gained from the K-cultural activities and talks. I learned a lot from the different events and experiences in the program as well as from fellow YCAFE participants, so I am very grateful to the Korean Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the Republic of Korea for the opportunity.

Photo. Group Presentation at the 2025 YCAFE 

What was your impression of being in Korea for the first time?

Personally, I did not feel like I was in a different country until I saw the street signs that were in Korean. Generally, I think the streets of Seoul are quite safe. The residents really follow the traffic rules, especially pedestrians who stop at the red light even when there are no cars. At the time, the weather in Korea was not that different from the weather in the Philippines, but I was kind of shocked when the sky was still bright at around 7 PM. The food there was very balanced as well, and they came in big portions that made the price worth it. Sometimes, the people there could tell that I was a foreigner and can speak only a little bit of Korean, so they helped me with buying things and favors I wanted to ask for. Overall, I was well taken care of in Korea when I went there for the first time.

Photo: With fellow YCAFE participants 

What activities did you engage in at YCAFE and what was your favorite program? 

We did a lot of activities like the K-Culture talks, sauna, dancing with 1MILLION, watching the Nanta Cooking Show and the baseball game at the Jamsil Stadium, riding a cruise at Hangang River, as well as making japchae and kimbap at the Now Cooking Studio, but I enjoyed the Gwangjang Market the most. We were tasked to take a picture of Korean letters or hangeul in the market to form the word assigned to us. When we were done with our submission, we got to explore. The market felt similar to a palengke, and I was really able to practice my Korean when I asked for the prices and bought souvenirs. I also got to receive a discount from a very kind ajussi, so I was really happy with that activity.

Photo: YCAFE 2025 Closing Ceremony at Samcheonggak 

How did participating in YCAFE help you grow or develop as a Korean language learner? 

I have always had doubts about learning Korean because I thought I was never going to be good at it. I took YCAFE as an opportunity to learn more vocabulary and practice listening and speaking in Korean because I know I have much to improve, but I was surprised to hear from my newly-made friends that I was really good. My friend told me that I only need to have confidence so that I can improve, so I plan on encouraging myself to speak more in Korean despite the anxiety of using the wrong grammar or vocabulary, as it gives me the opportunity to improve.

Photo. In a Closing Ceremony with Fellow Filipino Participants from West Visayas State University and Siliman University

What are your plans for this semester? 

I do not really have a concrete plan yet, but I have a lot of K-dramas on my watchlist that I hope to use for studying Korean vocabulary in my free time. I also hope to practice my speaking by talking to the friends I made in Korea during the YCAFE program. I am unsure yet, but I am considering saving up and studying for the TOPIK. Although, I would most likely take this time to slowly prepare for our upcoming midyear and fieldwork for my course.