Jamboree Disruption... Korean Prime Minister Orders Minister of Gender Equality to "Inspect the Site Until the End of the Event"

Heatstroke Patients Surge Amid Kamaseot Heat
Mass Exhaustion at Opening Ceremony
South Korean Prime Minister Orders Minister of Gender Equality
"Ensure Safety Until the End of the Event"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook, who is serving as the co-chair of the World Jamboree organizing committee, on the 3rd to "stay on site until the end of the event and ensure the safety of 43,000 participants from 159 countries."

During a phone call with Minister Kim on the same day, Prime Minister Han said this. He especially emphasized, "All ministries will provide full support, so Minister Kim, as the person in charge, must remain on site and swiftly implement all necessary measures until the last participant safely departs from Saemangeum."

Prime Minister Han also instructed the Ministry of National Defense to promptly dispatch engineering troops to support the repair and expansion of convenience facilities such as shade shelters and shower facilities, and to send military medical officers to strengthen emergency response capabilities.

On the opening day of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, held on the 1st at the event site in Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk, a participant is resting in the shade. On this day, a heatwave warning was in effect in Buan-gun. (Source: Yonhap News)

He further ordered Minister Kim to provide sufficient additional ice and other supplies on site, and to transparently inform the public and media of the situation and measures taken through daily regular briefings.

Additionally, he requested the organizing committee to quickly consult with the federation and others to minimize programs with a high risk of causing heat-related illnesses and to replace them with programs or rest periods that allow participants to avoid the heat.

The Largest Event Since COVID-19...Concerns Over Safety Rise as Heat-Related Illnesses Surge Amid Heatwave

The international event, ‘2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree,’ is the largest-scale event held domestically since COVID-19.

Since Saemangeum was confirmed as the host site for the World Jamboree in August 2017, the government enacted the ‘Special Act on Support for the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree’ in 2018 and launched the ‘Jamboree Organizing Committee’ in 2020. In April of the following year, the government also formed the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree Government Support Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister.

However, concerns over safety accidents are growing as more than 400 heat-related illness cases emerged within just one day of the opening amid the heatwave and tropical nights.

The organizing committee announced that a total of 1,757 patients occurred from the opening day through the 2nd, with over 600 of them suffering from heat-related illnesses. Furthermore, criticism has intensified as it was revealed that the organizing committee proceeded with the opening ceremony despite requests from fire authorities to halt the event.