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South Korea’s presidential office said Monday that President Yoon Suk-yeol was briefed on a contingency plan for the Jamboree as the typhoon approached, hinting that the scouts may relocate to Seoul for the remainder of their stay.
“By ‘contingency plan’, it means the scouts’ accommodation and the remaining schedule can be moved to the metropolitan area including Seoul,” Yoon’s office said in a statement.
Yonhap news agency reported that all afternoon activities have been cancelled and the participants will begin leaving the campsite from Tuesday morning.
“NATIONAL DISGRACE”
South Korea last week issued its highest-level hot weather warning.
The exit of British, American and other scout troops is a significant public relations setback for the South Korean government, which on Friday called an emergency cabinet meeting and mobilised aid.
The presidential office approved 6.9 billion won (US$5.3 million) in spending to support the jamboree, and Yoon on Saturday spoke by phone to camp organisers, urging them to offer more tourism programmes to the scouts.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Saturday that organisers would “create and operate a tour program featuring South Korea’s industry, culture, history, and nature”.
Local media has described the situation as a “national disgrace”, given the time the country had to prepare for the event, which happens once every four years.
Organisers have also come in for criticism from parents and the public for failing to anticipate the heat.
A Korean-American mother, whose 15-year-old daughter lost consciousness during the event, said it took a “terrifying” 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
“How can South Korea allow children to be neglected like this?” she told South Korean broadcaster SBS.
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