[Ahn Byung-il is the Secretary General of the Korea Scout Association/Visiting Professor of Legal Administration at Myungji University /Secretary General of the Korea Scout Parliamentary Association] 

The year of 2021 marks the 114th anniversary since the founding of the Scout Movement by Lord Baden Powell and the 99th anniversary since the beginning of the Scout Movement in Korea.

The Scout Movement stems from an experimental camp conducted with 20 youths of various social classes in 1907 by Lord Baden Powell on Brown Sea Island and through this camp, the world's first systematic form of youth education was established, including the unique scout Patrol System that places emphasis on aspects such as leadership.

The Jamboree, which is a highlight among the Scout Movement’s numerous activities, has been held as a global event every four years under the title of “World Scout Jamboree” since it was first held in Olympia in London, England back in August of 1920. Its name stems from ‘shivaree’, a North American Indian word that means ‘fun games’ or ‘merry festival’ and it has become one of the world’s biggest and greatest youth festivals, enjoyed by young people from around the globe.

The World Scout Jamboree aims to cultivate young people who will lead the future from around the world so that they can transcend country, ethnicity, religion, and language, camp with other youths in nature where they can harmonize with friends and adults, promote mutual friendships along with mental and physical development through explorative and processed activities, discussions and dialogue, and contribute to national development and world peace.

In addition, from aspects of social structures, the World Scout Jamboree creates opportunities for young people to grow as desirable members of society by fostering proper character, sociality, work ethic, leadership, and self-reliance through various programs and activities, cultivating great spirit, and polishing personalities.

The Jamboree is also a large-scale camping competition on both international and national levels as the largest Scout movement in which scout methods and principles are implemented and realized.

The Jamboree is divided into the World Scout Jamboree, a global camping event held every four years, the Regional Scout Jamboree, held by regional member countries, and the National Jamboree, an international camping competition in which the host country invites other member countries.

The Korea Scout Association was formed to commemorate the 100th anniversary (2022) of the Scout Movement’s founding and to prepare for its next 100 years, and with intentions to host symbolic events that contribute to the vitalization of youth movements, it promoted the hosting of the National Leaders Gathering in February of 2011 and declared its pursuit for a bid to host the “25th World Scout Jamboree” in 2023.

The ‘25th World Scout Jamboree’ that will be held in Saemangeum in 2023 can enhance the social values and strengthen the capabilities of adolescents such as through the cultivation of global citizenship.

Through jamboree participation, young people are provided with educational effects that develop proper character, sociality, leadership, and work ethic.

Moreover, the '25th World Scout Jamboree', which will be held after the 100th anniversary (2022) of the start of the scout movement in Korea, has great symbolism and timeliness as it commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Korea Scout Association and it will serve as an opportunity to promote exchange among youths around the world along with the vitalization of youth movements.

In particular, holding the ‘25th World Scout Jamboree’, which is a historic international youth festival, in Saemangeum, Korea not only contributes to the international community but also helps young people around the world to understand the excellence of Korean culture and the Hallyu culture and it also enhances international status and reputation while providing nationally significant social, cultural, and economic vitalization effects.

As young people around the world are the main users and participants of the Hallyu culture, it will be an opportunity to further spread the Hallyu culture out into the world and thereby elevate national status by improving Korea’s national image and hosting the world’s largest international exchange event in the private sector, which involves noted figures from around the world, will also provide opportunities to vitalize international exchange in the private sector.

The Korea Scout Association named the '25th World Scout Jamboree' to be held in Saemangeum in 2023 a peace jamboree, an eco-friendly jamboree, and a digital jamboree and it is planning it as a festival and event held together with Korea to achieve exchange among adolescents of North and South Korea and by inviting nations with which no diplomatic relation has been established yet and countries from the East-European bloc, it is doing its best to prepare a substantial place of unity between the East and West and a place of peace for all humanity.

The Korea Scout Association has extensive experience in hosting such events as it held the 17th World Scout Jamboree, 13 different Asia-Pacific Scout Jamborees, and 14 Korea Jamborees so the 25th World Scout Jamboree that will be held at Saemangeum in 2023 is expected to be another successful event.

There are only 800 short days left until the ‘25th World Scout Jamboree’ and to allow it to take hold as a successful youth festival in Saemangeum of Jeollabuk-do, Korea, the active interest and support and government-wide collaboration and cooperation of not only citizens of Jeollabuk-do and Buan-gun but of all of Korea will be needed.