South Korea's plans to host the 25th World Scout Jamboree have hit another snag as Typhoon Khanun approaches the nation's coast. With the storm expected to make landfall on Thursday morning, the South Korean government has informed the World Scout body that all participants will be leaving the campsite in Samangeum earlier than planned. The scouts will be moving out of the site on Tuesday, although their destination is still under discussion.
The Korea Scout Association, the host of the event, stated that ongoing weather conditions were the reason behind the early departure. This announcement comes after a series of setbacks at the jamboree. Over the past week, more than 43,000 teenagers from 158 countries flew to South Korea to attend the event. However, several scouts were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, and the scouting organizations from the UK, Singapore, and the US left for activities in other parts of South Korea just a few days into the event.
Adding to the challenges faced by the organizers, a South Korean contingent pulled out of the jamboree, claiming that organizers mishandled allegations of a sex offense on the campgrounds. In response to the heatwave, the government ordered air-conditioned buses and trucks for the participants. A much-anticipated K-pop concert that was scheduled for the weekend was also postponed to Friday.
Despite these setbacks, the jamboree was beginning to gain momentum and embody the spirit of the annual gathering, according to Ahmad Alhendawi, the secretary general of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. However, with the impending typhoon, the South Korean government has announced a contingency plan to relocate the scouts to regions that are likely to be unaffected by the storm.
The presidential office has urged local governments to step up and host the scouts for the remainder of their stay in South Korea. Activities such as visits to the National Palace Museum and Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, as well as traditional cultural performances in Jeonju, have been suggested as alternative arrangements.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Khanun has taken an unusual and meandering path around Japan's southwestern islands, causing heavy rain, power outages, and disrupted transportation services. South Korea's weather agency expects Khanun to make landfall on Thursday morning with winds as strong as 95 miles per hour. Large parts of the country's south, including Buan, could be affected by the storm as early as Wednesday.
In response to the storm, President Yoon Suk Yeol's office has called for contingency plans and the evacuation of the scouts from the storm's path. The evacuation process is set to begin on Tuesday morning and is estimated to take at least six hours to move all 36,000 scouts from the campsite. Most of the scouts will be accommodated in venues in the capital city, Seoul, and the nearby metropolitan area, although the exact locations have not been specified yet. The organizers have secured more than 340 evacuation venues, including community centers and gyms, in regions near Buan.
Despite the numerous challenges faced by the jamboree, the focus remains on the resilience of the young scouts. The event has experienced extreme weather patterns and setbacks, but the participants have shown strength and perseverance throughout.
