Many Lands, One World was the theme, which brought together approximately 20,000 Scouts from 135 countries and territories, and in particular, Eastern European nations, as all the formerly communist states of Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were developing Scouting in the months preceding the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

[1] Bulgaria, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia each fielded contingents.

The Jamboree started with bad weather, with rain and flooding providing major problems.

The Jamboree sported the first Global Development Village program and was visited by Korean president Roh Tae-woo, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco.

[3] Scouts also experienced home hospitality in South Korea and Japan.