2023 Saemangeum World Jamboree Organizing Committee Cancels 'Pre-Jamboree'
Considering Group Infection from Group Activities and Youth Health
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree Organizing Committee announced on the 19th that it has decided to cancel the Pre-Jamboree event scheduled for August 2nd in consideration of the recent resurgence of COVID-19.
The committee had planned to hold the Pre-Jamboree, which also served as the 15th Korea Jamboree, from the 2nd to the 7th of next month in some areas of the World Jamboree venue to review event operations and programs before the World Jamboree and to identify any issues in advance.
The committee held two emergency meetings with related organizations such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Jeollabuk-do Province, Korea Scout Association, and relevant agencies including the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to discuss whether to hold the event. Considering the nature of the outdoor event involving group activities with communal cooking and lodging, they decided to cancel it.
The committee took into account the high possibility of cluster infections due to the Omicron variant, the health of youth including risks such as heatstroke during heatwaves exceeding 30 degrees Celsius even when masks are worn at all times, and the difficulty of normal proceedings due to withdrawal of participation applications caused by concerns from youth and parents over the spread of COVID-19.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency expressed the opinion that the continuous increase in COVID-19 confirmed cases and the rising detection rate of the immune-evasive Omicron variant require consideration of worsening risk assessment indicators.
Choi Changhaeng, Secretary General of the Organizing Committee, said, "We deeply regret having to cancel the Pre-Jamboree for the health and safety of youth amid the resurgence of COVID-19, and we will do our best to proceed with preparations for next year’s World Jamboree without disruption, including infrastructure development, to ensure a successful event."
Meanwhile, the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree will be held from August 1 to 12, 2023, at the Saemangeum reclamation site in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do. The committee proposed postponing the Jamboree schedule by one year at the end of March, but the World Scout Committee decided to proceed as planned, considering that COVID-19 is in the recovery phase.
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