A photo of the campground of the 25th World Scout Jamboree provided by the Buan County Office. (Yonhap)
BUAN, Aug. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean organizers of the 25th World Scout Jamboree have touted the quadrennial global event as a cultural Olympics for youth expected to provide opportunities for young Scouts to learn about different cultures and build friendships through outdoor camping and cultural activities.
But the event, which drew about 43,000 participants from 158 countries, has been thrown into across-the-board difficulties soon after kicking off in Saemangeum, a remote reclaimed land area on the southwestern coast, on Tuesday amid a searing heat wave gripping the nation for over a week now.
Despite their decision to hold the event in early August, the hottest time of the year, the organizers appear to have failed to make sufficient preparations to protect the young Scouts from heat wave-related hardships.
As many critics had previously feared, a total of 108 participants were taken to the Jamboree Hospital and other medical facilities after showing symptoms of heat-related illnesses during the opening ceremony Wednesday, while 31 others complained of headaches, stomachache or musculoskeletal damage.
Some patients reportedly did not receive proper treatment on time, as the Jamboree Hospital, for instance, has only 50 beds.
The situation at the campground is even worse, as the apparent daytime temperature soared close to 40 C in the Saemangeum area, which is lacking in shade-providing structures, such as trees or forests.
Young Scouts gather at a waterwork facility to cool off near a World Scout Jamboree campground in Saemangeum, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 3, 2023. (Yonhap)
The critics say Saemangeum, designated originally as land for farming and fishing communities, is not fit for camping activities.
The area is adjacent to the beach but the tropical night phenomenon is frequent, with the nighttime low staying above 25 C.
Drainage seems to be another problem, as some participants complained on social media that many water pits created during last month’s monsoon season add sauna-like humidity to the campground site.
“The weather is very hot here. It’s easy to get burned without an umbrella and hat,” said a participant in a TV interview.
Heat-related patients receive treatment at the Jamboree Hospital near a World Scout Jamboree campground in Saemangeum, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 3, 2023. (Yonhap)
Even worse, young Scouts are suffering from shortages of sanitary and convenience facilities.
Their complaints are mostly centered on the insufficient number of restrooms, locker rooms and shower booths, and the poor conditions of the sleeping tents and the campground.
Some restrooms are used by both men and women. One participant complained that the shower booths are divided only by a piece of fabric and there is no proper way of cleaning dishes and disposing of food waste.
There is also a long list of other complaints from the participants — sleeping tents without fans, suffering from mosquito bites and sun burns and poor breakfasts provided by the organizing committee.
Indeed, a participant uploaded a photo of her breakfast, which showed only cereal in a milk carton, while some boiled eggs offered for breakfast were found to have fungi.
The organizing committee said it has installed 1,722 shade shelters and 57 vine tunnels with cooling features to protect young Scouts from the heat and designated half a dozen places, including an indoor gym and a sports park, as emergency shelters.
But those measures have not been considered sufficient yet.
(Yonhap)
