SOUTH KOREA: Braving the winter cold South Korean students toughen up at a marine style boot camp

Record ID: 346142

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Braving the winter cold South Korean students toughen up at a marine style boot camp
  • Date: 7th January 2011
  • Summary: ANSAN, SOUTH KOREA (JANUARY 7, 2011) (REUTERS) STUDENTS CLAPPING WHILE KNEELING DOWN ON SNOW COVERED GROUND AT CHUNGRYONG BOOT CAMP VARIOUS OF STUDENTS THROWING SNOW OVER THEIR HEADS STUDENTS CRAWLING ON SNOW COVERED GROUND TRAINER THROWING SNOW ON CRAWLING STUDENTS STUDENTS CRAWLING ON SNOW COVERED GROUND STUDENTS STANDING IN FRONT OF RUBBER BOATS AND TRAINER STUDENTS STANDING NEXT TO RUBBER BOATS WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF STUDENTS LOADING RUBBER BOAT ON THEIR SHOULDERS STUDENTS WALKING WITH RUBBER BOATS ON THEIR HEADS STUDENTS SHOUTING WHILE HOLDING RUBBER BOAT OVER THEIR HEADS STUDENT SHOUTING WHILE HOLDING RUBBER BOAT OVER HIS HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) TRAINER PARK TAE-JOON SAYING "Nowadays many students are selfish and prone to lack in self-reliance, easily giving up everything because they are living without brothers or sisters around. So many parents send their children here to correct it." STUDENTS TRAINING WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF STUDENTS SHOUTING STUDENT CRYING WHILE TRAINING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 15-YEAR-OLD STUDENT KANG-HAN-SOL SAYING: "I was sent here due to controversy between me and my parents (because I spent so much time in playing computer games). With the training here, I will decide to stop playing computer games and to study hard." VARIOUS OF STUDENT LYING ON SNOW COVERED GROUND WITH THEIR LEGS HIGH (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 17-YEAR-OLD CHOI NA-YEON SAYING: "My mother and my father, wearing a smile, advised me to come here for good experience. Then they advised me to try hard to receive a letter of commendation. I feel awfully sorry now for my decision to come here after an anti-biochemical training and another training in thin clothes." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS SQUATTING UP AND DOWN WHILE HOLDING LOGS STUDENT SHOUTING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS SQUATTING UP AND DOWN WHILE HOLDING LOGS STUDENT SHOUTING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS SQUATTING UP AND DOWN WHILE HOLDING LOGS
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAAFY001R46XXA2EYBNYW4VAKFZ
  • Story Text: During the annual winter break in South Korea, instead of staying home to watch television or play video games, some students have signed up for a boot camp to toughen up, marine style.
    Wearing military uniforms -- sometimes half-naked -- and braving chilly winter temperatures, 183 students took part in boot camp training on Friday (January 7), near a beach in Ansan, about 66 km southeast of Seoul.
    Students were put though military style training to develop their toughness and perseverance, made to carry rubber boats and logs while shouting on a field covered with snow.
    The tough training pushed some students to tears.
    One boot camp trainer said the camp prepared students for the real world.
    "Nowadays many students are selfish and prone to lack in self-reliance, easily giving up everything because they are living without brothers or sisters around. So many parents send their children here to correct it," said trainer Park Tea-joon.
    Many sign up in the hope of becoming more disciplined and to enhance their mental and physical strength. Training lasts for up to 10 hours each day, throughout the five-day or nine-day training programme.
    Some students said the tough training had changed their outlook on life.
    "I was sent here due to controversy between me and my parents (because I spent so much time in playing computer games). With the training here, I will decide to stop playing computer games and to study hard," 15-year-old Kang Han-sol told Reuters Television.
    Other students were more regretful, saying they should not have come to the camp.
    "My mother and my father, wearing a smile, advised me to come here for good experience. Then they advised me to try hard to receive a letter of commendation. I feel awfully sorry now for my decision to come here after an anti-biochemical training and another training in thin clothes," said 17-year-old Choi Na-yeon.
    The marine style boot camp includes activities such as rappelling, a river-crossing simulation, basic exercises and team events under the close watch of trainers from the private military camp.
    The camp called Chungryong, has trained 70,000 to 80,000 students since 1998 and more than 400 students have registered to join the boot camp this winter.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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