LOCAL SCOUTS PARTICPATE IN BOY SCOUT WORLD JAMBOREE

SOCKCHO, SOUTH KOREA - Scouts from 129 countries attended the opening ceremony of the 17th World Jamboree at Mt. Sorak National Park near here.

About 20,000 Scouts are attending the eight-day jamboree on the East Coast of South Korea, including about 900 from the United States. The event will conclude this weekend.

During the Jamboree, the Scouts are taking part in a wide range of activities, including pioneering, orienteering, archery, marksmanship, scuba diving and rock climbing. The Scouts are cooking their own meals in their camp sites.

The opening ceremony began with kilonoree, a form of traditional Korean entertainment. Kilonoree is a type of parade in which the participants hold the tail of "koh" and follow the flag carrier excitedly.

After kilonoree, the peace bell was rung.

The opening ceremony included the introduction of VIPs and the prime minister of Korea, Chun Won-sik. The flags of each country attending the Jamboree were paraded to the stage.

In his welcoming address, the Prime Minister said, "You are not just proud Scouts sharing experiences and camping together in nature. You are also on a mission of peace, inspiring the spirit of cooperation and friendship in this world."

This was a reminder of the theme of the Jamboree, "Many Lands, One World."

After his address, the official Jamboree flag was hoisted. The Scouts were then entertained with traditional Korean dances. They watched two different sets of dances, which were very interesting to see.

After the dances there was a very large fireworks show. For many Scouts, it was the largest fireworks display that they had ever seen.

The fireworks concluded the opening ceremony of the 17th World Jamboree.

Bobby Gardner is a member of Boy Scout Troop 29 in Scott City and he is participating in the World Jamboree.