World Scout Jamboree 2023
On Thursday 27 July, my friends and I embarked on the long journey to South Korea, where we would be staying for the next three weeks. This is where the 25th World Scout Jamboree was taking place. This event is a gathering of almost 50,000 Scouts worldwide from an impressive 158 countries. Unsure of what to expect, initially I was anxious, however, this soon turned into excitement as I found more friends from all over the world.
The first part of my experience was a busy few days in the capital, Seoul. These were arguably the most exciting, as there were lots of great events and day trips. My favourite of these was the visit to the border with North Korea, the Demilitarised Zone.
After four days exploring Seoul, we were taken to the World Scout Jamboree site in the area of Saemangeum. Unfortunately, due to a combination of extreme heat and flooding, conditions on the site were pretty terrible, however, we chose to make the most of it by interacting and swapping items with Scouts from many different countries around the world. This was a very unique experience, as the Jamboree acted as a bridge between different cultures. As conditions worsened on site, the UK Contingent decided to transfer us back to Seoul to carry on the Jamboree experience there.
We had a great time in Seoul, with the government and local businesses pulling together to arrange many different events for us. The highlights for me were the visit to Lotte World theme park, the N Seoul Tower and the spectacular closing ceremony.
On arriving home I had many great stories to tell about the Jamboree and I am so grateful that I was granted such an exciting and unique experience. My huge thanks to the 1st Woldingham Scout Group for helping me with my fundraising.
Oscar W
