In January 2026, students of the Department of Global Korean Studies at Sahmyook University visited Adventist University of the Philippines in Silang, Philippines. They provided overseas volunteering for Korean language and Korean cultural exchange to AUP students. This was not just a visit, but a major-customized program that demonstrated the students' academic strengths.

The five-day schedule included Korean name tags and traditional games, Korean fan and keyring making, quizzes and cooking, light-stick and K-pop activities, and a Korean market play with films and dramas.

Through this volunteer work, Sahmyook University students practiced the university's educational ideals of truth, love, and service on the world stage. The following conversation is with an AUP student who participated in the classes.

A conversation with an AUP student

Q1. Please introduce yourself. A1. My name is Ruby. I am an Indonesian third-year student at Adventist University of the Philippines, studying Arts in English Language.

Q2. After experiencing Korean culture in person, what was different from what you usually see online? A2. Media often makes Korean culture seem very fast-paced and polished. Meeting the volunteers felt more personal and grounded. I noticed how attentive and considerate they were in small interactions and in the way they worked together.

Learning language through people

Q3. What was the most interesting activity? A3. Learning the Korean language was the most meaningful. I had tried studying independently, so being taught directly by native speakers made pronunciation and simple conversations more vivid. The volunteers made every class enjoyable.

Q4. What impression did Korean college students leave? A4. They seemed disciplined, polite, and highly cooperative. They respected schedules, divided responsibilities clearly, and supported each other when challenges appeared.

A memory that will remain

Q5. Is there a moment you especially remember? A5. The last day was meaningful because the program ended successfully and the participants wrote personal messages to each volunteer. It showed that their work had been appreciated.

Q6. Did you learn anything new about Korea? A6. I learned how much Koreans value practicality and efficiency. The lessons used simple but effective materials and focused on expressions that could be used in real situations.

The exchange was conducted at the request of the AUP languages department. The students' time together under the hot sun of Silang became a bridge of friendship and an experience of growing into global citizens who respect each other's cultures.