[From the Scene] Fervor for World Scout Jamboree grows in Korea

BUAN, North Jeolla Province -- With less than 100 days to go, South Korea’s Boy and Girl Scouts are eagerly anticipating the 25th World Scout Jamboree, which will bring together around 43,000 teenagers from 170 countries around the world.

Ahn Ye-sung, a 17-year-old student at Buan High School in Buan-gun, North Jeolla Province, is one of three thousand Korean students fortunate enough to seize a one-time-only opportunity to participate in the Jamboree, which will be held under the theme of “Draw Your Dream.”

Teenage scouts are only able to participate in one Jamboree held every four years, with those aged between 14 and 17 at the time of the event eligible to apply.

“When my parents recommended scouting activities, they told me it would help me learn how to socialize and give me more opportunities to meet new people,” Ahn, who has been a member of South Korean Scouts for three years, said Thursday during a news conference held at the Saemangeum area. “I am looking forward to meeting friends from abroad at the World Scout Jamboree.”

This year’s event will be held from August 1 to 12 in the Saemangeum, a reclaimed area with the world’s longest seawall, stretching across parts of Gunsan, Gimje and Buan in North Jeolla Province.

As of April 19, 39,328 participants of foreign nationality and 2,972 participants of Korean nationality had signed up for the international youth event.

“I have participated in scouting activities for two years, and it is a great pleasure to participate in the World Scout Jamboree in my country,” said 16-year-old scout member Kim Ha-rang.

The World Scout Jamboree, hosted by the World Organization of the Scout Movement, is the world’s largest youth camp. Scouts gather to contribute to world peace as global citizens, embodying the Jamboree spirit through mental and physical training, camping and cultural and friendship exchanges offered by various programs.

“Every World Scout Jamboree is different. Each host country has its own music, own culture and environment,” said Jacob Murray, director of world events at the WOSM, during a press briefing held at Buan County on Thursday.

“Also, as a scout, you only have one opportunity to participate in the Jamboree as there is an age limit, which makes every Jamboree special. Many participants around the world are expecting hospitality and a magical experience in Korea.”

South Korea won the bid for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in August 2017, marking the second Jamboree event that South Korea is hosting, since the 17th event held in Goseong, Gangwon Province, in 1991.

The King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf -- who attended the 17th Jamboree -- has notably promised to visit the upcoming Jamboree in the Saemangeum area.

“It is particularly significant that the tent used by the king at the Goseong Jamboree 32 years ago has been preserved and will be re-installed for him in the Saemangeum for the upcoming Jamboree,” said Rhee Hang-bock, chief of the Jamboree management team.

Edward Michael Grylls, a world-famous survival expert who is also known as Bear Grylls, will attend the event.

The Jamboree Management Committee, along with North Jeolla Province and related South Korean ministries, are currently conducting a final check of the outdoor facilities for the event.

The committee is conducting months of rehearsals to ensure accommodation for the 50,000 attendees, including adult leaders, on the reclaimed land.

South Korea has been constructing basic infrastructure such as power, water, sewage facilities and wireless base stations on the site.

“These days, teenagers share their daily lives on social media in real-time, so we will install 170 Wi-Fi routers throughout the entire area to make sure that there is no inconvenience,” said Ko Dae-woong, who heads the event support division at the Jamboree Organizing Committee.

In light of the vast size of the newly built campground, which encompasses 8.8 square kilometers and is around three times the size of Yeouido, transportation by foot may be challenging. Ko said buses and bicycles will be provided throughout the event period to address the issue.

There are a total of five camping areas or "hubs," named Baekje, Silla, Goryeo, Joseon and Goguryeo. Each hub can accommodate between 8,000 and 10,000 people.

South Korea's minister of gender equality and family, Kim Hyun-sook, also announced that the country will operate 341 designated evacuation shelters nearby, which are capable of accommodating more than 50,000 people in preparation for natural disasters. Additionally, South Korea has developed measures to manage crowds at events, particularly considering that the Jamboree is a gathering of people who speak different languages.

“As the first such event to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic, the government and authorities are paying attention to successfully and safely holding the event,” Kim said, encouraging all related authorities to put their best efforts into hosting the event.

The upcoming Jamboree is being looked to as a turning point for the Korean Scout Association, which was founded in 1922 when the peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to meet people from 170 countries and share different thoughts and experiences at an age when physical and intellectual growth is the fastest,” Rhee said. “I believe that this World Scout Jamboree will lead to more active scouting activities in Korea.