"Due to Yoon Administration's Lack of Preparation"... Bitter Criticism from Opposition Lawmaker Who Warned of Jamboree Disruption

"Jamboree Heatwave, Heat-related Illnesses, and Toilet Issues Are Predictable Problems"
"Failed to Stabilize Initial Chaos"

Regarding the World Scout Jamboree, Lee Won-taek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who warned of risks a year ago, attributed the event's disruption to "preparation deficiencies caused by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's indifference, lack of measures, and incompetence."

Attending the party's expanded executive meeting as the chairman of the Democratic Party's National Committee for Farmers and Fishermen, Lee stated on the 9th, "As a lawmaker representing the Jamboree hosting region, I was on-site from the opening ceremony until the withdrawal yesterday," sharing his firsthand experiences.

He identified lack of preparation as the cause of the disruption. Lee said, "I will summarize and share the causes of the disruption based on what I observed and felt directly," adding, "First, it lies in the preparation deficiencies caused by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's indifference, lack of measures, and incompetence." He pointed out, "Last year, after the Yoon Seok-yeol administration took office, I raised important concerns and requested inspections from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family regarding the Saemangeum Jamboree scheduled for August, focusing on issues such as heatwaves, pest control, and infection prevention measures. The minister assured me that everything was set and would go well, but it did not." He continued, "After the Jamboree began, numerous issues were raised: heatwave problems, heat-related illnesses, medical service issues, hygiene management problems including toilets and showers, and pest issues," emphasizing, "(These) were problems raised beforehand, not complex policy decisions or technically difficult matters. They were clear issues that anyone could foresee and judge."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and the leadership are signing a petition at the National Assembly on the 9th to the UN Human Rights Council to stop the ocean dumping of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Lee cited relevant laws to argue that ultimate responsibility for the lack of preparation lies with the central government. He explained, "According to Article 23 of the Saemangeum World Jamboree Special Act, the organizing committee and the governor of Jeollabuk-do must establish a comprehensive plan for the installation, use, and post-event activities of related facilities for the successful hosting of the Saemangeum World Jamboree, which must be approved by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family." He added, "If the minister is not satisfied, approval is withheld; if requirements are met, approval is granted." He further explained, "When the minister intends to approve, consultation with heads of central administrative agencies is required," and "After consultation, the results are reported to the Government Support Committee chaired by the Prime Minister. Once reported, the results are submitted and publicly announced."

As Lee mentioned, the Special Act stipulates that the organizing committee and Jeollabuk-do's business plan must be approved by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family. According to the relevant provisions, the minister must consult with heads of related central administrative agencies before approval and report to the support committee, which includes the Prime Minister as chair, ministers of various departments, the head of the Saemangeum Development Authority, the governor of Jeollabuk-do, and the organizing committee chair.

After outlining these procedures, Lee diagnosed that issues such as the heatwave problem "should have been reflected and addressed in the organizing committee's comprehensive plan," but "due to indifference and lack of interest, no measures were prepared, and leadership was lacking. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the organizing committee, and the government failed to operate in an organic connection."

He also pointed out problems with the initial response. Issues identified early should have been resolved promptly, but this did not happen. Lee said, "(The Jamboree) attracts 30,000 to 40,000 participants, so on the first, second, and third days, usually two to three or three to four days, confusion occurs," adding, "Many complaints and issues arise, but through this process, swift corrections and improvements are made to normalize and stabilize the event." He criticized, "The problem was that during the golden time?the first, second, third, and even fourth days?the organizing committee, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the government did not clearly, urgently, and sensitively understand and respond to these issues with swift decisions to promptly correct and improve so that the UK and US teams would not withdraw, but failed to do so." He questioned, "I could not help but doubt whether there was a control tower on site."

After this series of evaluations, Lee said, "The evaluation of the Jamboree will proceed objectively after the event concludes," and "During this process, problems of the central government, local governments, or the organizing committee will be revealed objectively. I ask that people stop blaming the previous administration or local governments."