South Korea refuses to cancel World Scout Jamboree ‘disaster’ as thousands of children pulled out

Despite hundreds of heat-related illnesses recorded at the event, a defiant councillor said its “not a summer resort” but “an experience of overcoming hardships”

South Korea has refused to cancel the World Scout Jamboree event despite thousands of children being pulled from the event due to sickness.

The gathering, branded a “disaster” by concerned parents, has been hit by hundreds of cases of heat-related illness as the country faces a sweltering heatwave.

The contingent of 4,000 British scouts, the largest group out of the more than 40,000 attending, have now been relocated to hotels in the capital Seoul, and US participants have also fled the site

An ambulance drives out of the campsite of the World Scout Jamboree (AFP via Getty Images)

But even with highs of 36C and warnings of thunderstorms in the location Buan next week, the Korean Scout Association has ignored calls to cancel the event early. And prime minister Han Duck-soo said in a news conference that the country is determined to continue as planned until the original date of 12 August, promising a roll-out of additional safety measures.

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The World Organization of the Scout Movement said in a statement on Friday that it had asked the Korean Scout Association to consider “alternative options to end the event earlier than scheduled and support the participants until they depart for their home countries”.

Yeom Young-seon, a member of the Jeonbuk Provincial Council in charge of the Jamboree event, pushed back saying: “Above all, the Jamboree is not a summer resort. It is an experience of overcoming hardships.

“Many media are worried about the heat wave, but in my opinion, it is a tolerable situation.”

At least 600 people at the event have been treated for heat-related illnesses in recent days, officials said.

British scouts gather to leave the site

Choi Chang-haeng, secretary-general of the jamboree’s organizing committee, insisted the event is safe enough to continue. He linked the large number of children falling ill to a K-pop performance during the opening ceremony, which he said left many teens “exhausted after actively releasing their energy.”

Around 700 additional workers will be deployed to help maintain bathrooms and showers, which some participants have described as filthy or unkempt.

With activities currently called off because of the extreme heat, there are plans to include more cultural pastimes involving travel to other regions so scouts aren’t entirely stuck at a venue with heat problems, officials said.

UK scouts began arriving at hotels in Seoul on Saturday after announcing their decision to leave to help “alleviate the pressure” on the site.

British Scouts arrive at a hotel in central Seoul (EPA)

The UK Scout Association announced today that their scouts and volunteers are settling into their new accommodation.

In a statement, it said: “We know that may be a disappointment for some and we will continue the Jamboree experience in Seoul, working with Korean authorities on a programme of activities so our young people still get the most from their time in Korea.”

US Scouts announced their departure on Saturday and will relocate to Camp Humphreys, a US military base near Seoul.

An email sent to parents of the US Scouts read: “The US Contingent to the World Scout Jamboree has made the difficult decision that we will be departing the 25th World Scout Jamboree site early because of ongoing extreme weather and resulting conditions at the jamboree site.”

Hundreds of children have been struck down by the heat in South Korea

After requesting the jamboree end earlier, the World Organisation of the Scout Movement said in a statement: “The host (Korean Scout Association) decided to go ahead with the event, assuring that they will do everything possible to address the issues caused by the heatwave by adding additional resources.

“We continue to call on the host and the Korean government to honour their commitments to mobilise additional financial and human resources, and to make the health and safety of the participants their top priority.”

On Monday, the President of South Korea ordered an “unlimited supply” of air-conditioned buses and refrigerator trucks, as well as extra medical staff to the campsite.

“The government will use all its resources to ensure that the jamboree can end safely amid the heatwave,” he said.