Scouts prepare to leave South Korea campsite ahead of typhoon
Scouts were seen preparing for evacuation from the World Scout Jamboree campsite in the South Korean city of Buan on Tuesday ahead of an approaching typhoon.
Organizers said on Monday said tens of thousands will be moved from the campsite in an area of reclaimed land in southwestern Jeolla province.
Around 36,000 participants will be taken by bus on Tuesday to areas away from the path of Typhoon Khanun, which has already wreaked havoc in southern Japan and is expected to hit South Korea on Thursday (August 10), organisers said.
The storm comes after one of the worst heatwaves to hit South Korea in years, which caused hundreds of scouts to fall ill.
Officials are seeking alternate venues and accommodations in and around Seoul. The jamboree which is scheduled to run until August 12 will continue.
The participants will start withdrawing sequentially from 10 a.m. on Tuesday and move to the metropolitan area.
"About 36,000 people from 156 countries are subject to withdrawal, and a total of more than 1,000 buses will be mobilized," said Kim Sung-ho, vice minister for disaster and safety management of the Interior Ministry, at a briefing on measures related to the Scouts' early withdrawal. "Interpreters will also be deployed to facilitate communication."
Regarding the plan to secure emergency lodging, Kim said, “With the cooperation of local governments across the country, we plan to provide lodging to the jamboree members by securing as many administrative and private educational facilities as possible, centring on the metropolitan area that is not directly affected by the typhoon.”
All expenses for accommodations as well as tourism and educational programs will be covered by the government along with municipalities, he said.
Earlier in the day, the World Organization of the Scout Movement said its decision on early departure was made after it was informed about the typhoon shifting its course towards the peninsula. South Korea's weather agency predicted Khanun's impact of strong winds and heavy rainfall until Thursday.
“Due to the expected impact of Typhoon Khanun, an early departure will be planned for all participants at the 25th World Scout Jamboree from the campsite in Saemangeum,” said the WOSM through an official statement on its website. “The (South Korean) government informed WOSM that they will soon provide details of the departure plan and the venues that will host the participants.”
A K-pop concert, which had been originally scheduled for Aug. 6 and then moved to Aug. 11 in Jeonju, a 50-minute ride from the camping site, will be moved to Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. The government said as of Monday afternoon that it was considering bringing the event to Seoul.
Gender Equality Minister Kim Hyun-sook said at the briefing on the day, “We are discussing closely the readjustment of the concert venue, and we are looking for an alternative such as the Sangam World Cup Stadium.”
When asked whether the Scouts' early departure was suggested by the Korean government, the minister said the conclusion was made after consulting with WOSM.
The minister mentioned that she doesn't believe leaving the campsite equates to suspending the entire event. She said she considered it a broadening of the jamboree's scope, as additional programs from municipalities are being incorporated for the remaining days of the event. The campsite will no longer be operating as the venue for the event once participants depart on Tuesday.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, meanwhile, received an emergency contingency plan report on the jamboree’s measures to prepare for the upcoming typhoon from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Ministry of Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min on Monday morning. The report recommended that the Scouts’ accommodations and remaining jamboree program be moved to Seoul and other neighbouring metropolitan areas, according to the presidential office.
Since last week, the government has been in emergency mode, mobilizing all possible means to help Scouts at the Saemangeum campground, which has been hit by a blistering heat wave and flooding on the ground.
The event has drawn extensive criticism for inadequate preparation and mismanagement, subjecting participants to scorching heat, limited shade, waterlogged grounds, heat-related illnesses and insect bites. Over the weekend, thousands of attendees from Britain, the United States and Singapore left the site. The Jamboree event drew over 43,000 participants from 159 countries.
Shin Ji-hye and Lee Jung-joo
The Korea Herald
Asia News Network
