37,000 Jamboree participants relocated amid typhoon threat

For the massive departure of Scouts, over 1,000 buses were mobilized with the government deploying four police helicopters and 273 patrol cars to ensure their safety, according to the interior minister.

“The evacuation is part of an emergency response to protect the global youth participating in the jamboree from the disaster situation of the typhoon,” Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said at a briefing at the Saemangeum Press Center in Buan.

The mission of relocating jamboree participants was being carried out “in close cooperation with” the Jamboree Organizing Committee, the World Organization of the Scout Movement and delegations from each country, he added.

A total of 3,133 participants from eight countries are staying at 17 accommodations across Seoul, and 13,568 people from 88 countries are staying at 64 accommodations in Gyeonggi Province. In Incheon, 3,257 people from 27 countries are staying at eight locations, while in Daejeon, 1,355 people from two countries are staying at six accommodations.

In Sejong, 716 people from two countries are staying in three accommodations, and in North Chungcheong Province, 2,710 people from three countries are staying at seven accommodations. In South Chungcheong Province, 6,274 people from 18 countries are staying at 18 accommodations, and 5,541 people from 10 countries remain in North Jeolla Province.

Countries including Indonesia, Portugal, Bangladesh, Poland, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Ecuador, Ireland and Mongolia remain in North Jeolla Province, according to local news reports citing the WOSM. Many participants from Arab countries are reported to have decided to remain nearby, judging that halal food delivery was smooth.

Because they “needed to leave” Saemangeum immediately with the typhoon approaching the peninsula, relocation destinations were decided “randomly,” the interior minister said.

“For the remaining four nights and five days, the government will continue to operate the jamboree program for the participants and allow them to accumulate the jamboree experience,” Lee said. “We will do our best so that participants can safely and happily experience Korea until the moment they leave the country and finish the rest of the schedule with a joyful heart.”

When asked about the main issues behind the event's failures, Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook pointed to bad sanitation in the toilets and issues with overall cleanliness. A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, who moderated the briefing, however, said the question was irrelevant to the briefing and that the government had no reason to answer.

Also in response to a question about the potential impact of the jamboree chaos on Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, which will be decided in November, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said, “It is not a situation to evaluate such a thing now.”

Han added that there will be opportunities to hear from people who attended the jamboree or the country’s ambassadors. “Some of the ambassadors I spoke with expressed a lot of opinions that they were sufficiently satisfied.”

On the controversy surrounding the poor planning and execution of the event, the prime minister said the priority is in concluding the jamboree safely. “It is not appropriate to mention such a problem (now)."

Jamboree K-pop concert moved to Seoul’s World Cup Stadium, Friday

The World Scout Jamboree’s K-pop concert, which was originally scheduled for Sunday last week will be held on Friday at 7 p.m in Seoul World Cup Stadium, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday. The closing ceremony will be held at the same venue on the same day, marking the end of the global event.

The K-pop concert was originally scheduled to be held at the campsite’s outdoor stage in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province last week, but it was postponed and moved to Aug. 12 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium for safety reasons amid the extreme heat.

Following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s call on Saturday for tour programs to be offered to the World Scout Jamboree participants to replace the event’s outdoor program -- which was cancelled after hundreds suffered from heat-related illnesses and insect bites at the jamboree campsite in the Saemangeum -- the organizing committee and the Culture Ministry have been rescheduling the events planned for the last few days of the meeting.

The Culture Ministry said they picked Seoul World Cup Stadium, considering the relocation of some 20,000 Scouts to the Seoul metropolitan area on Tuesday and the accumulated know-how on operating large-scale events at this venue. The capacity of the stadium, which can hold up to 66,000 people, was also a reason.

“We feel truly sorry to see the K-pop concert, which was to offer a grand finale for the Saemangeum Jamboree in Jeonju World Cup Stadium, have to be moved due to the path of the typhoon. But we’re sure that the Saemangeum Jamboree will continue powerfully as a K-pop concert drama in Sangam, Seoul. Friday’s concert will be a moving finale to the jamboree, with some 40,000 Scout members experiencing the real charm of K-culture together,” said Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon.

Authorities said that the detailed list of the musicians performing will be updated. Local media outlets have reported that K-pop groups NewJeans and Seventeen could appear. Meanwhile, ruling party lawmaker Rep. Seong Il-jong asked the Defense Ministry to support BTS in making an appearance on his Facebook page Tuesday, causing a stir. The original list of performers included Ive, Stayc, ATBO, Nmixx and more.

As of Tuesday morning, about 37,000 young Scouts and adult volunteers began leaving the original jamboree campsite in the coastal Saemangeum reclaimed tidal flats area, due to the approach of a powerful typhoon forecast to hit Korea’s southern region on Thursday morning, according to the organizing committee.

Their accommodations will be paid for first by other provincial and city governments. The majority of the participants will be housed in schools and company dormitories, as well as military facilities. The Interior Ministry will later reimburse the local governments for the costs.

S. Korea on high alert as Typhoon Khanun approaches

South Korea was on high alert on Tuesday as a strong typhoon with heavy rain and wind gusts strong enough to derail a train is set to hit the country's southern region starting on Thursday, raising concerns over possible flooding, landslides and other damage.

According to a briefing by the Korea Meteorological Administration on Tuesday morning, Typhoon Khanun will hit South Korean waters 30 kilometres west of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province at 9 a.m. on Thursday. About 24 hours later, at 9 a.m. on Friday, continuing its northwestward march, it will reach 70 km northeast of Pyongyang, North Korea.

At around 9 a.m. on Thursday, when Khanun makes landfall in Korea, its central atmospheric pressure is expected to reach 970 hectopascals, and its central maximum wind speed is expected to be 35 metres per second or 126 km per hour. Areas with wind speeds of more than 15 meters per second or 25 meters per second are expected to have a radius of between 310 km and 120 km from the centre of the typhoon, respectively.

When it reaches the sea southwest of Busan, Typhoon Khanun's intensity is expected to be "strong," which means the maximum wind speed at its centre is likely to be "more than 33 meters per second and less than 44 meters per second." A "strong" typhoon is the third-highest category in the five-level system categorizing typhoon strength used by the weather agency.

Another typhoon emerged at around 9 a.m. Tuesday in the waters southeast of Tokyo. Typhoon Lan will not have direct interaction with Khanun, but it is expected to affect Khanun's path by having an influence on the expansion of the North Pacific High.

Heavy rain is expected across the country from Wednesday to Friday due to Typhoon Khanun's effects. The eastern part of Gangwon Province is expected to receive between 200 to 400 millimetres of rain, with a possible maximum of 600 mm, while the western part of Gangwon Province is expected to receive 80 to 120 mm of rain.

Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are expected to see 80 to 120 mm of rainfall, North Jeolla Province 100 to 200 mm, Daegu, Busan, North Gyeongsang Province 100 to 200 mm, Ulleungdo and Dokdo 80 to 120 mm, and Jeju Island 100 to 200 mm.

Compared to Khanun's route predicted by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the route KMA has forecasted leans to the east. However, the expected route of Khanun according to the weather agencies of many countries sees the typhoon gradually moving westward over time, so there is a possibility that its expected route may move further west.

Ahead of the upcoming typhoon, Seoul hit a new high of 35.8 degrees Celsius as of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Heat wave advisories had been issued in almost all parts of the country except eastern Gangwon Province and the eastern part of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces, due to the strong, hot east wind from the approaching typhoon.

Meanwhile, as the typhoon is certain to have a direct impact on the entire country, the government is gearing up to prevent possible damage. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held a meeting with related agencies Tuesday and ordered emergency inspections of vulnerable areas and facilities.

Ahead of the typhoon's northward trajectory, the Interior Ministry will conduct emergency inspections of dangerous areas such as steep slopes and reservoirs in 10 cities and provinces with private experts and local government officials. These emergency inspections are to take place from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Facilities vulnerable to wind, such as signboards, electric wires and spires should be fixed or removed in advance, while the entry and exit of ships to ports will be prohibited. Dangerous areas such as roads adjacent to waterways, underground tunnels and semi-underground housing units – called "banjiha" in Korean -- will be closely monitored for signs of flooding, according to officials.

According to the guidelines for public action in the event of a typhoon, dangerous sites such as areas that are frequently submerged and routes prone to landslides should be avoided. The government urged residents to close their doors and windows and stay indoors, and stay tuned to the weather conditions via TV, radio and the internet without going outside.

 Lee Jung-youn, Shin Ji-hye and Kim Da-sol

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network