"They Stay at Hotels, We Sleep on the Auditorium Floor"… Controversy Over 'Neglect' of Korean Jamboree Scouts

Contrary to the Organizing Committee's Explanation, Stayed in Church Auditorium
No Shower Facilities, Slept on Mats on the Floor
"If This Is the Case, I Want to Return to Saemangeum"

The '2023 World Scout Jamboree,' which has been plagued by controversies due to poor preparations, is now embroiled in allegations of reverse discrimination against Korean scouts. After early dismissal at the Saemangeum campsite in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, foreign scouts stayed in comfortable accommodations such as hotels and corporate training facilities, while Korean Jamboree scouts reportedly remained in poor facilities amid neglect.

Korean scouts participating in the 2023 World Scout Jamboree spent a night on the 8th at a church in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, which lacked shower facilities.
Photo by MBC

According to an MBC report on the 8th, 370 Korean scouts who moved from the Jamboree campsite had to sleep on the floor of a church auditorium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. There were only thin mats laid on the floor without any bedding. Moreover, the church lacked shower facilities for the scouts to wash, forcing them to use the restroom sinks or wash with hoses.

Some scouts who arrived late at the church had to wait outside for over three hours due to the lack of accommodations. Eventually, some returned home or moved elsewhere, saying they "could no longer stay."

On the 9th, a parent told KBS in an interview, "The scouts said that if they had to sleep like this, they would rather go back to Saemangeum; they felt like refugees and were very upset." The parent added, "I understand the situation of hosting guests, but this was too extreme."

Support for Foreign Scouts Vastly Different from Korean Scouts

On the morning of the 9th, about 800 members of the Netherlands delegation to the World Scout Jamboree were divided into two groups of 400 each and visited the historic site "Hwaseong Yungneung and Geonneung" located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, where they toured the pavilions.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Unlike the Korean scouts who stayed in poor conditions, most foreign scouts are accommodated in hotel-level facilities with two scouts per room, supported by local governments and various companies. The Italian Jamboree delegation of about 160 people has been staying at the Songdo Global R&D Center Residence Hall for four nights and five days since the 8th.

About 1,000 scouts from six countries including Finland and the Netherlands are currently staying at four training centers of Hyundai Motor Group. These major training centers of the group are said to be comparable to five-star hotels in terms of size, bedrooms, meals, fitness facilities, and other amenities, earning high satisfaction from the scouts.

Delegations from four countries including Japan, Honduras, and Chile, totaling 2,882 people, visited Chungbuk Province, with half staying in temple stay accommodations at Danyang Guinsa Temple, and the rest living in university dormitories and public institution training centers, engaging in various experiences.

The Mexican delegation of 401 people is also staying at the Lotte Human Resources Development Institute Osan Campus, enjoying baseball games and Korean cultural experiences.

Catering and Accommodation Assigned for Foreign Scouts Who Haven't Even Entered the Country

At the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, Brazilian members who returned to camp and are staying in Daejeon are experiencing barefoot walking on the Gyejoksan Hwangto Trail in Jang-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon on the afternoon of the 9th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province, the Jamboree organizing committee assigned 175 Yemeni scouts to the dormitories of Hyejeon University, only to later find out that these scouts had not even entered the country, leading to notifications being sent to local government officials and the university.

According to Chungnam Province and Hongseong-gun, on the 8th, the organizing committee decided to accommodate about 5,200 Jamboree scouts at 18 facilities in Chungnam. When Hyejeon University dormitories in Hongseong were assigned as accommodations for 175 Yemeni scouts, officials from Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province, and Hyejeon University urgently prepared to welcome the scouts, inspecting dormitory cleanliness and even preparing welcome banners.

However, despite catering being arranged for the 175 scouts, there was no information on when they would depart or arrive. The organizing committee reportedly only responded that they could not provide contact details for the group leaders.

Jamboree participants from Denmark and Norway visiting Sangchunjae at the Blue House.
Photo by Yonhap News

It was only after 9 p.m. that it was confirmed the Yemeni scouts had not entered the country, and officials including Hongseong-gun Mayor Lee Yong-rok were able to leave the site close to 10 p.m.

Officials from Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province, and Hyejeon University expressed their frustration, having prepared welcome banners and catering that all had to be discarded.

Meanwhile, the Saemangeum Jamboree has faced criticism for inadequate preparations, including a surge in heat-related illnesses and insect bites due to the heatwave, unsanitary conditions in restrooms and showers, and difficulties in recruiting volunteers and part-time workers for site maintenance.