SOUTH KOREA: Students attend boot camp run by retired marines intended to improve discipline and get them into shape

Record ID: 345861

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Students attend boot camp run by retired marines intended to improve discipline and get them into shape
  • Date: 26th July 2011
  • Summary: ANSAN, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 25, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STUDENTS HOLDING UP RUBBER BOATS AND RUNNING VARIOUS OF PADDLING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 14-YEAR-OLD STUDENT SONG SANG-WON, SAYING: "I had a real hard time on the first and second days of training. Now I am thankful to my parents who sent me here. I have decided to be a good boy to my parents." STUDENTS CRAWLING TR
  • Embargoed: 10th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA6N54ME5MRVC5YCJJHEVIPUZ8W
  • Story Text: South Korean students on Monday (July 25) attended a boot camp run by retired marines, in the hopes that it would improve their discipline and get them into shape.
    Instead of lazing around in the sweltering summer heat, more than 200 students, clad in military uniforms, decided to participate in the marine-style boot camp in Ansan, south of Seoul.
    The camp is designed to test their physical and mental endurance through eight hours of daily activities for four days.
    It includes dragging parachutes, running with rubber boats on their shoulders, and jumping from a 11.5 metre (37.7 feet) tower.
    Song Sang-won, a 14-year-old student on his third day of training, said he was glad he took part in the boot camp.
    "I had a real hard time on the first and second days of training. Now I am thankful to my parents who sent me here. I have decided to be a good boy to my parents," he said.
    Park Tae-jin, one of the camp's trainers, said the tough training was to push the students to become "global leaders".
    "Our camp tries to train them to have endurance and patience, and not to give up anything easily. Then they could be global leaders in the future," he said.
    Yang Hae-min, a 14-year-old student, said she discovered a newfound appreciation for her parents.
    "I lost my temper easily when my parents asked me to do this and that. With the training here, I've come to understand my parents are very precious people to me, and I will be loyal to my parents when I get back home. I miss you and I love you very much, mummy and daddy," she said.
    The camp has trained about 150,000 students and civilians since it opened in 1997.
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