The Korea Scout Association is the national

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

association of South Korea.

was founded in Korea in 1922 while under

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese rule, and sent representatives to the first Far East Scouting competition in Beijing in 1924. However, it was banned by the occupation authorities from 1937 until August 15, 1945. It existed in all areas of the Korean peninsula prior to the Korean War in 1950. World Organization of the Scout Movement recognition came in 1953. The total membership in 2011 was 201,455 registered Scouts. Dr. Kim Yong-woo, the first Tiger Scout and former Minister of National Defense was awarded the

Bronze Wolf Award The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee (WSC) to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement". It is the highest honor that can be given a volunteer Scout leader in the world and it is the ...

, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1975.

History

Scouting during Japanese rule

Japanese military authorities did not consistently encourage the Scouting movement in occupied territories. Where local conditions were favorable, authorities would permit local Scouting or introduce Japanese-style Scouting, or ''Shōnendan'', and sometimes even made this compulsory. On the other hand, where conditions were not favorable, and anti-Japanese sentiments were likely to be nurtured through Scouting, the authorities would prohibit it entirely. Scouting in Korea was prohibited by the Japanese occupation authorities from 1937 to 1945.http://www.scout.org.hk/article_attach/14529/p14.pdf War and Occupation, 1941-1945 by Paul Kua, Deputy Chief Commissioner (Management), Scout Association of Hong Kong, 2010

Program and ideals

The Tiger Scout is the highest rank and award the Scout and the Venture Scout may achieve. An active

Air Scout Air Scouts are a part of the Scout movement with a particular emphasis on an aviation themed programme and/or flying-based activities. Air Scouts follow the same basic programme as other Scouts, but they devote certain amounts of time focused o ...

program is also popular. The Scout Motto is , pronounced ''jun bi'', ''Preparation'' in Korean. Officially the round-shaped outer petals of the new purple fleur-de-lis are based on the

taeguk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design ...

, symbolizing hope of

reunification of the Korean peninsula Korean reunification () is the potential reunification of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea into a single Korean sovereign state. The process towards reunification was started by the June 15th North–South Joi ...

. A tiger head, symbolizing bravery, is also featured.

Councils

The KSA operates and maintains 21 councils, 18 geographical, 3 religious, and a National Council for top-level staff and employees.

World and regional events hosted

* 17th World Scout Jamboree, 1991 * 17th Asia Pacific Jamboree, 1996 * Asia Pacific Regional Youth Forum, 1996 * 21st Asia-Pacific/10th Korea National Jamboree, 2000 * Asia-Pacific Workshop on Youth Programme, 2000 * International Patrol Jamboree, 2002 * Asia Pacific Regional Workshop on PR, ICT and Marketing, 2003 * 25th World Scout Jamboree, Saemangeum, 2023

Scouting in North Korea

North Korea shared a common Scout history with South Korea until 1950, but at present is one of only four of the world's independent countries that do not have Scouting. North Korea instead created the

Young Pioneer Corps The Korean Children's Union (KCU) is the precursor to the Socialist Patriotic Youth League of North Korea contributing to North Korean youth movement and pioneer movement. It is for children aged six to fifteen and is a political organisation li ...

under the Korean Children's Union.

References

{{Authority control Scouting in South Korea World Organization of the Scout Movement member organizations Youth organizations established in 1922 1922 establishments in Korea