Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

15.4
Review and Evaluation
The Seoul Olympic Youth Camp was
held successfully and left a deep
impression on the participants even if
the staging of the camp was not a
high-profile event amidst the overall
international Olympic fever.
The Seoul Declaration adopted at the
forum on the "Realization of World
Peace through Youth in the Olympic
Movement" made the Seoul camp all
the more significant. The declaration
requested that a clause be included in
the IOC regulations to make it obligatory
to hold a Youth Camp during
every Summer and Winter Olympic
Games. The request was perceived as
an appeal following the absence of a
Youth Camp at the Los Angeles
Olympics.
The Seoul Olympic Youth Camp
differed from other Olympic activities
in that its operational team was
organized mainly by the Boy Scouts of
Korea, and its schedule and programs
were worked out and operated in close
cooperation with youth organizations,
with full assistance from the Seoul
Olympic Organizing Committee. For
Korean youth organizations, it was a
rare opportunity to have the
experience of hosting a large-scale
international event.
In particular, participating foreign
youths were able to learn of the history
and beauty of Korea, as well as of the
country's development. They also
experienced firsthand the customs of
Koreans through the home hospitality
program.
The attendance at the camp's opening
ceremony of King Gustaf, a member of
the Swedish Royal Family that initiated
the Olympic Youth Camp, made the
Seoul Camp even more splendid.
The various convenience and amusement
facilities were heavily used and
much appreciated. The scrawling
board and home hospitality program
were significant as innovative ideas
which might be repeated at future
Youth Camps.
One of the most significant achievements
of the Seoul Olympic Youth
Camp was that the participating
Korean youths gained a greater pride
in their homeland through the camp,
and a greater understanding of the
people of the world.
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