SOUTH KOREA: South Korean students get disciplined at a marine boot camp

Record ID: 345918

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: South Korean students get disciplined at a marine boot camp
  • Date: 19th December 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 18-YEAR-OLD PARK KWANG-NAM SAYING: "I feel like I can wake up early and go to school without recording tardiness when I get back home."
  • Embargoed: 3rd January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAAFDA0V46O4MRQ1THEC54LQPY9
  • Story Text: South Korean students brave the winter cold and hard training at marine boot camp.
    It's time for the annual winter break and instead of watching TV or hanging out with friends, some South Korean students are attending a marine style boot camp.
    Wearing military uniforms and braving the winter cold, 55 students took part in Thursday's (December 18) training.
    They hope to become more disciplined and enhance their mental and physical strength through the 4-day regimen, where they will train for up to 10 hours daily.

    "I feel like I can wake up early and go to school without recording tardiness when I get back home," said 18-year-old Park Kwang-nam.
    Thirty-three high school and 22 middle school students, some as young as 14, attended the camp in Gimpo, located 29km northwest of Seoul.

    "It's fun, but it's very hard at the same time. Now, I just realized how precious my parents are after being out here," said 14-year-old Kim Eun-bong.
    The camp aims to test their physical and mental endurance through activities such as rappelling, river-crossing simulation, basic exercises and team events under the close watch of trainers from the South Korean Marine Corps.

    "This marine camp can be very difficult and harsh for those who attend the camp first, but they all go back with great confidence after the camp," said Ha Seong-bong, a chief trainer of the camp.
    South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 30.
    ENDS.
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