"At Least a Fan... Shower Rooms and Toilets Also Problematic," Jamboree Parents Frustrated

Jamboree Participant Middle School Students' Parents Interview with MBC
"Angry, wondering why this was done in hot weather"
"Kids are struggling, lined up and told to 'clap'?shocking"

At the '25th World Scout Jamboree' held at the Saemangeum site in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk, where heat-related illnesses are occurring one after another, a parent of a student participating in this jamboree called it a 'total disaster' revealing the organizer's lack of preparation and poor management.

Parent A, whose middle school child participated in the jamboree, said in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 3rd, "(My child) sounded very exhausted on the phone," adding, "I also kept watching the live broadcast of the opening ceremony the day before, and the management was really inadequate. People sitting in the back probably couldn't even see the stage."

On the opening day of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, participants are resting in the shade at the Delta Zone campsite in Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, two days before the event.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

They said that despite the children being exhausted during the opening ceremony, the event was a 'showy performance.' A said, "The daytime heat index was 40 degrees Celsius. Some kids even went to the hospital due to dehydration, but the most shocking thing about this boring event was when the VIPs entered, they asked everyone to 'please stand up' and 'give a big round of applause.' I honestly thought I was going to fall backward," expressing anger.

On the opening day of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, a participant is resting in the shade at the event site in Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

They continued, "Why make them line up when they are so exhausted?" saying, "The kids were fighting bugs on the grass, yet the countries were called in alphabetical order for a full 25 minutes. I don't know if they even rehearsed, but the kids were completely worn out. What’s strange is that the cameras only focused on the kids dancing. I was so angry and couldn't understand it," they said.

They also pointed out that besides the participants struggling with the heatwave, the unhygienic facilities and lack of proper announcements about the event schedule were problematic. A said, "Food, drinks, restrooms, showers?everything was a problem," adding, "There was nothing that wasn’t a problem, and this seems like negligence of duty. If I talk about each issue one by one, it would be endless and exhausting," criticizing the situation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A also said that emergency preparedness was not properly established, stating, "In case of an emergency, kids should be able to call and have a way to contact their parents, but there was no guidance on any manual," adding, "If they have to call 119, then find the general situation room number, then call the jamboree hospital, going through these steps to get help, it means there is no emergency plan at all and no central control,"

continuing that it would be even more difficult to respond if the participant was a foreign student rather than a Korean student.

They emphasized, "We should prevent problems rather than analyze them after accidents happen," and added that even now, "cool water and environment should be provided through electricity, and even if not air conditioning, at least fans should be running in the tents. At the very least, kids should be able to charge their mobile phones. Instead of wasting money on useless things, invest in the children so that responsibility is not blamed after accidents happen," they demanded.