SOUTH KOREA: Students attend boot camp, braving sweltering weather

Record ID: 346172

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Students attend boot camp, braving sweltering weather
  • Date: 5th August 2010
  • Summary: BUCHON, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 4, 2010) (REUTERS) TRAINEE JUMPING FROM TOWER SHOUTING NAME AND NUMBER JUMPING FROM TOWER RAPPELLING RAPPELLING, TRAINEE AND TRAINERS TRAINEES DRAGGING PARACHUTE TRAINEE DRAGGED BY PARACHUTE TRAINEE LYING DOWN TRAINEE DRAGGED BY PARACHUTE TRAINEES DRAGGING PARACHUTE, TRAINERS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 17-YEAR-OLD STUDENT OH YOUNG-JAE SAYING: "Defensive falls were a very hard part of the training and trench battles were interesting. After this four-day training, I will be ready to march toward my aim with better preparedness." TRAINEES AND PARACHUTES VARIOUS OF TRAINEES DRAGGING PARACHUTES (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 17-YEAR-OLD LEE SEONG-EUN SAYING: "It's tough and sometimes I lose my temper, but I feel I get something. It's difficult to be trained, but I know I can get over my limitations with very good physical exercises." VARIOUS OF PUNISHMENT TRAINER TRAINER AND TRAINEES (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHO JAE-MAN SAYING: "Through this camp run by our special commando group, our military like to show we are strong but kind and we like participants to have a valuable opportunity to get confidence and self-restraint spirit and patriotism." TRAINEES AND TIRE 20, TRAINEE DRAGGING TIRE VARIOUS OF TRAINEES RUNNING WITH RUBBER BOAT ON SHOULDERS VARIOUS OF TRAINEES TAKING SHOWER
  • Embargoed: 20th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Defence / Military,Population
  • Reuters ID: LVAEE4UFM26O0NEM2RQJJPNFV79A
  • Story Text: South Korean civilians hoping to get in shape and improve their discipline braved the sweltering summer heat Wednesday (August 4) to attend a boot camp run by a special commando group.
    South Korean Army officials said 1,268 civilians have attended these boot camps in six places from August 3 to August 13.
    Instead of lazing around during the annual summer break, more than 200 students, wearing military uniforms, decided to participate in the marine style boot camp in Buchon, west of Seoul.
    The camp aims to test their physical and mental endurance through eight hours of daily activities such as dragging parachutes, running with rubber boats on their shoulders, and jumping from a 11.5 meter tower.
    "Defensive falls were a very hard part of the training and trench battles were interesting. After this four-day training, I will be ready to march toward my aim with better preparedness," said 17-year-old student Oh Young-jae.
    Around noon, the temperature rose to 30 degrees celsius at the training area in Buchon.
    "It's tough and sometimes I lose my temper, but I feel I get something. It's difficult to be trained, but I know I can get over my limitations with very good physical exercises," said 17-year-old Lee Seung-eun.
    Boot camps run by the Army's special commando groups have been running since 2003 with approximately 17,000 participants.
    "Through this camp run by our special commando group, our military like to show we are strong but kind and we like our participants to have a valuable opportunity to get confidence and self-restraint spirit and patriotism," said Lieutenant Colonel Cho Jae-man.
    South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 30.
    North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce without a peace treaty.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register