{"id":2201906,"date":"2023-08-07T19:40:42","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T10:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201906"},"modified":"2023-08-08T17:57:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T08:57:39","slug":"typhoon-khanun-forces-retreat-from-south-koreas-problem-plagued-scout-jamboree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/typhoon-khanun-forces-retreat-from-south-koreas-problem-plagued-scout-jamboree\/","title":{"rendered":"Typhoon Khanun forces retreat from South Korea\u2019s problem-plagued Scout Jamboree"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea\u2019s World Scout Jamboree, beleaguered by multiple issues, faces another challenge in the form of incoming Typhoon Khanun, prompting the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) to call for a retreat from the Saemangeum event site. This latest difficulty, <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> by the WOSM on Monday, follows a series of missteps by the organizing committee that have drawn global scrutiny to the event\u2019s management.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent statement, the WOSM shared the South Korean government\u2019s decision for the \u201cearly departure\u201d of all scouts. \u201cWe urgently call on the Government to expedite the plan for departure and provide all necessary resources and support for participants during their stay and until they return to their home countries,\u201d the WOSM said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The withdrawal from the camping grounds marks the latest fiasco, from heatwaves with temperatures well over 95\u00b0F (35\u00b0C) causing illness among many young scouts to allegations of management blunders and <\/span>sex crimes<\/span><\/a>. For attendees, it\u2019s yet another disappointment in the mass gathering that has drawn 40,000 participants from around the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Scouts wash and try to cool down using water taps at the event site | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Sunday, the day before the decision to leave Saemangeum, saw more than 1,400 attendees require medical attention, as reported by the organizing committee. The most common ailments were bug bites, sunburns and heatstroke, highlighting the harsh conditions faced by the scouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite assurances of improvement from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol over the weekend, conditions reportedly remained substandard. And in another potential embarrasment, sources from the event told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the organizers exhibited a clear preference for South Korean scouts over international participants.<\/span><\/p>\n

BROKEN PROMISES<\/b><\/p>\n

Set on a reclaimed tidal flatland some 186 miles (300 kilometers) from Seoul, the Jamboree\u2019s 3.3 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) site is a barren landscape of rocks, sand and rough grass, offering no natural shade. On Saturday, <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> observed children and adults struggling with the sweltering weather across the site, some seeking refuge in one of the many white pop-up tents scattered around the area. Only some of those tents were equipped with fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

To mitigate the effects of the intense heat, the South Korean government deployed air-conditioned buses, albeit with a 30-minute time limit per person, to accommodate as many people as possible. While the authorities made determined attempts to salvage the event, those efforts fell short of providing adequate relief, participants told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lucy van Petegem, a Dutch volunteer at the Jamboree, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the South Korean government had pledged to provide each person with five bottles of frozen water, cooling facial masks, sunscreen, ice packs and sodium pills. \u201cBut we have only gotten extra water,\u201d Van Petegem said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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During the weekend, South Korean authorities deployed air-conditioned buses with a 30-minute time limit per person | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Larry Fleat, a scout representative from Canada, expressed his alarm over the increasing number of children being sent to the hospital. \u201cIt\u2019s not just heat stroke,\u201d Fleat said, adding that many attendees were beset by \u201cburning bugs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can see many people who got their legs all wrapped up, and they\u2019re swelling up. Kids are on crutches because of the grass they\u2019re sleeping in, and that\u2019s where the bugs are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the ROK\u2019s armed forces providing additional shade covers, the site still lacked enough resting spots sheltered from the sun. \u201cEven if you have the day off, where are you going to go? Are you gonna stay in your tent? There\u2019s no other place to lie down. Not under a tree, not under anything,” Fleat said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Van Petegem, who had been volunteering at a maze, said on Saturday that at least one scout in the maze required medical assistance. She also said \u201call of her team\u201d felt unwell on Sunday night due to the heat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t