The 16th Korea National Jamboree brings Scouts together for peace and sustainability

Around 3,000 Scouts, leaders and volunteers from 16 countries gathered in Goseong, Gangwon State, from 5 to 9 August for the 16th Korea National Jamboree, bringing young people together under the theme “Peace and Planet, Ready for Future.”

Organised by the Korea Scout Association at the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province World Jamboree Training Center, the five-day event combined outdoor adventure, cultural exchange and learning opportunities, with peace, environmental responsibility, inclusion, and safety woven into everyday camp life.

The Jamboree’s location gave its focus on peace particular meaning.

Goseong is close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and participants joined the DMZ Peace Trekking programme, connecting the Jamboree’s message of peace with the history and geography of the Korean Peninsula.

The campsite also carries a significant place in Scouting history. In 1991, it hosted the 17th World Scout Jamboree, which brought together Scouts from around the world and more than three decades later, the same site once again became a meeting place for young people from different countries and cultures.

During the five-day event, Scouts turned sustainability into everyday camp practice through waste reduction, sorting and recycling, and responsible use of resources. Scouts also took part in activities across creativity, environment, peace, the future and nature—from knots, shelters and paracord craft to amateur radio, drones, archery, coding, survival swimming, and natural rock climbing.

Through these hands-on experiences, participants built practical Scout skills while developing teamwork, problem-solving, confidence and adaptability. These lessons continue beyond the Jamboree, giving young people skills they can use in their schools, communities and local Scout groups, while carrying forward more sustainable habits and a stronger sense of responsibility for others and the environment.

Further, safety was a key part of delivering the Jamboree, particularly during Korea’s summer heat.

Scouts and leaders were briefed on heat-safety measures, while organisers monitored weather conditions and adjusted activities when needed. A dedicated Jamboree Situation Room monitored conditions across the site. These measures allowed Scouts to focus on the experience while organisers remained prepared to respond to changing conditions.

From a campsite with a history of bringing Scouts from around the world together, a new generation carried forward a familiar idea: that young people can help shape a more peaceful and sustainable future by learning to live, learn and work together.

Note: With reporting from the Korea Scout Association Public Relations Department (Jimmy Park, Choi Kyuho, Kim Seung Yeon, Anna Jisue Choi, Lee Dain, Hyun Jin Seok, Minju Jo)