Typhoon Forces Scouts to Flee Korean Campsite Prematurely

The World Scout Jamboree, a global youth event that attracted 43,000 scouts from 158 countries, has been plagued by problems since its inception on Tuesday. The latest setback is a typhoon that is expected to make landfall on the Korean peninsula, prompting the evacuation of all participants from the campsite before the scheduled end date of August 12.

The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) confirmed that the South Korean government will provide “comfortable and safe accommodation” for the scouts in administrative and private educational facilities, mostly based in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is not directly affected by the typhoon. WOSM pleaded with the government to expedite the plan for departure and provide necessary resources and support for participants during their stay.

Before the announcement, the event had already faced numerous issues, including a heatwave that resulted in hundreds of participants being treated for heat-related ailments, poor sanitation, waterlogged conditions caused by heavy rain, rotten food, and swarms of mosquitoes and flies. Critics had long raised concerns about the suitability of the vast, treeless campsite, which lacks protection from the summer heat, and was built on reclaimed land from the sea.

In addition to the UK and the US, both of which have already announced their withdrawal, other countries including Australia had also decided to relocate their scouts. Singapore, however, has chosen alternative accommodation and is still participating in the jamboree.

While conditions on the ground had been improving before the announcement, WOSM’s decision to evacuate the campsite has raised concerns about the impact on the event’s remaining four nights and five days. “We feel let down by the organizers because we repeatedly raised some of these concerns before we went, and during, and we were promised things were going to be put in place and they weren’t,” said Matt Hyde, the chief executive of the UK Scouts.

The evacuation process is expected to start on Tuesday at 10am, with over 1,000 buses transporting scout members to their new accommodations. Police and rescue services will assist in the evacuation process.