Inspection of US Jamboree Business Trip Report
Improvement Points on Sanitation, Drainage, Shade Tents
"Saemangeum Jamboree Concerns" Participants' Worries
Problems Known but Poor Preparation Led to Disruptions
Overseas Travelers Actually Face Retirement or Department Transfers
The government is understood to have been aware in advance of a significant portion of the problems occurring at the Saemangeum Jamboree. It was also confirmed that jamboree participants had expressed concerns to the Korean government for years about the lack of shade shelters and poor drainage. Although there was ample time to prepare, criticism has been raised that complacency and personnel changes led to neglect of these issues.
According to the government's Overseas Business Trip Training Information System on the 7th, six agencies related to the jamboree, including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, went on overseas business trips to the United States in July 2019, when the US jamboree was held, for training purposes. Normally, if the purpose of overseas trips is similar, a representative agency attends, but in the case of the jamboree, since multiple ministries were responsible for different sectors, each agency spent tens of millions of won to travel to the US simultaneously.
'Need for Shade Shelters, Poor Drainage'...Concerns Existed for Years
A heat illness patient receiving treatment at the Jamboree Hospital within the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree campsite in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The travelers inspected and reported on improvements for the Saemangeum Jamboree by observing the US jamboree. Two officials from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, including Yoon Hyo-sik, then Director of Youth and Family Policy, and two officials from the World Jamboree Organizing Committee task force wrote in their trip report that “the restroom doors were curtains, making usage inconvenient,” and “portable toilets were made of plastic, causing internal temperature to rise in summer, leading to reluctance to use them.”
They also pointed out that “the distance between campsites is too far,” and “in some campsites, participants must walk long distances to carry out programs.” Other criticisms included “ice was provided daily but insufficient,” “products were not diverse and were about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than market prices,” and “there were very few (smartphone) charging stations.”
There was also a report recommending drainage facilities and shade shelter installation. Officials from the Saemangeum Development Authority advised in the overseas trip report that “appropriate drainage facilities should be installed to prepare for the rainy season, and the upper layers should be filled and compacted with quality soil,” and “since Saemangeum is a reclaimed land with no trees or vegetation, shade shelters and internal resting areas are necessary for participants’ safety and to avoid heat.” They also insisted that the number of restrooms should exceed 2,700, more than at the US jamboree.
It was even reported that US jamboree participants directly expressed concerns about the Saemangeum Jamboree to Korean officials on their business trip. The 2015 jamboree held in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, was conducted on reclaimed land, and participants who suffered from lack of shade told Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs officials visiting from the US that “Saemangeum is in a similar situation.” The ministry reported that “many participants recognized the risks of the Saemangeum Jamboree,” and “issues such as poor soil drainage and lack of shade were identified as potential problems at the Saemangeum Jamboree.”
'Curtain Shower Rooms, Price Gouging Convenience Stores'...Korea Repeated the Same Problems
Although several ministries pointed out the realities of the 2019 US jamboree, the same problems appeared at the 2023 Saemangeum Jamboree. Due to insufficient drainage facilities, the jamboree campsite was flooded with stagnant water from last month’s monsoon rains. Mosquitoes and other insects gathered around the puddles, causing pest problems. Although vine tunnels were constructed to prevent heatstroke, their quantity was insufficient and inadequate to escape the heat.
In the case of the “curtain restrooms,” doors were replaced, but shower rooms were still installed with curtains, causing dissatisfaction among participants. Recently, an incident occurred where a Thai man entered the women’s shower room, raising concerns because the door was a curtain.
Price controversies also arose. GS25, which operated tent-type stores at the jamboree, sold some products at prices higher than usual. Ice cups that normally cost 700 won were sold for 1,500 won, and ice cream priced at 1,800 won was sold for 2,000 won. The price of a 500ml Coca-Cola was 2,500 won, about 10% higher than regular stores. GS25 explained this was due to logistics infrastructure costs, but after the controversy grew, they lowered prices on all products.
Additionally, participants had to go to subcamps to charge their phones, and shortages of ice and bottled water forced the government to urgently allocate budget to supply them.
"The Travelers Retired, So They Don’t Know"…Absurd Explanation from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
At a press conference held at the press center within the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree campsite in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is speaking. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Despite identifying problems in advance, preparations were insufficient because most of the travelers had retired or changed positions. All personnel who went on business trips to the jamboree from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family have left the ministry. The World Jamboree Organizing Committee task force travelers are currently not affiliated with the ministry as they were dispatched to Jeonbuk. When asked how the report contents were reflected, the ministry replied, “Those who went have retired, so we don’t know well.”
Kim Kwon-young, head of the World Jamboree Support Team, said, “I don’t know the details of the (trip report) contents exactly, but I heard they went there,” and explained, “(At the planning stage) we made vine tunnels and reflected the contents due to concerns about heatstroke.”
Meanwhile, there are claims that the near-chaotic jamboree operation was due to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which lacked expertise, being in charge of event command. Despite having authority over facility installation and organizing the committee, repeated controversies have made it difficult to avoid responsibility. The World Scout Movement also stated in a press release that “the organizer was requested to end the event earlier than scheduled.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
