Top 4 Things That Korean Citizens First Think About When Someone Mentions "The Philippines" To Them

What does one country’s natives think about another? In a recent episode of Asian Boss’ “Street Interview” series, random South Korean citizens were asked about their thoughts regarding the Philippines.

What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘Philippines’?

— Asian Boss

1. Tourism

First up, the most common idea that they mentioned was that the Philippines is a tourist hot spot. The Koreans pointed out that it is a “vacation spot” that people frequently visit to relax.

I think of it as a vacation spot: vacation, honeymoon, and the ocean.
In terms of the Philippines, it’s very well established as a tourist spot.
More recently, I can think of tourism.

This is not surprising considering that beaches such as Boracay and El Nido are widely considered among the top in the world.

2. Study Hub

Next up, one young man brought up the fact that it is a popular study hub that young people visit in order to practice their English. As it is one of the official languages of the Philippines, it is a great idea if one wants to use it often in daily life.

It’s also a country where many Koreans go to study English.

— Asian Boss Interviewee

3. Language

Similarly, the fact that so many Filipinos are capable of speaking English was another aspect that was surprising to them. One interviewee found it unique that some even speak it more often than the native Filipino language.

I was surprised to learn that they speak more English than Tagalog.

— Asian Boss Interviewee

4. Fruit

As for something more tangible, one interviewee thinks of the Philippines as a country with an abundance of fruit, saying. “I really life fruit and I heard they grow a lot of bananas in the Philippines, so I know that.”

Fun fact: according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the regions that produce the most bananas in the country are Davao, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and ARMM!