President says ‘unlimited’ airconditioned buses will be provided and food will be improved, after hundreds fall ill in heat amid soaring temperatures
Raphael Rashid in Buan, South Korea
South Korea has pumped millions into improving conditions at a global Scouts gathering it is hosting amid a suffocating heatwave, with president Yoon Suk Yeol ordering “unlimited” air-conditioned buses and cold-water trucks and hundreds more sanitary and medical staff being brought in.
The World Scout Jamboree, which kicked off on 8.8 sq km of unsheltered tidelands in the south-western county of Buan on Tuesday, has seen hundreds needing treatment for heat-related ailments. On Thursday, 138 people visited clinics and hospitals with heat-related illnesses, bringing the total tally to over 700.
More than 43,000 participants, most of them aged between 14 and 18, are attending the jamboree, the first global gathering of the scouts since the pandemic. But it comes amid a severe heatwave, with authorities issuing the highest-level heat warning in four years, as temperatures in some parts of the country exceeded 38 degrees Celsius (100F) this week. Temperatures of up to 34 degrees are forecast at the sitethrough the weekend.
Yoon called for the buses to be supplied so the Scouts can rest and cool down, and for the trucks to provide water, his press secretary, Kim Eun-hye, said in a statement on Friday. He also ordered officials to improve the quality of food being provided to people there.
“All government departments should make all-out efforts to immediately solve problems at the site,” Yoon was quoted by Kim as saying.
On Friday, Kim Hyun-sook, the gender equality and family minister in charge of the event, said 6.9bn won (£4.1m) had been allotted to secure equipment including additional shade areas with the cooperation of the military; and supplies including cooling masks, hats, sun cream, and ice packs.
“We will make every effort to ensure stable operations with a responsible attitude so that this event can end safely,” she said.
The measures include 130 buses with air conditioning that will be deployed from Friday, plus 23 additional doctors and 14 nurses, and additional medical supplies.
The number of cleaning personnel is to be expanded from 70 to 542 to maintain “a clean and hygienic lodging environment”, with 50 mobile toilets added.
Additional pest control personnel have been sent in after complaints of flooding that has attracted mosquitoes and flies.
Kim said: “I understand that many embassies are also concerned about the world jamboree event. As mentioned earlier, we have taken measures, or will continue to take measures, and we are closely communicating with the diplomatic corps in Korea in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Jacob Murray, events director at the World Organization of the Scout Movement, said two programs had been cancelled “due to continued high temperatures directly linked to climate change” but added that: “Despite the heat conditions, young people and volunteers are having a good time and enjoying their experience at the event.
“Scouts are resilient, resourceful, and have come prepared for different weather conditions.
“The health and safety and wellbeing of Scouts is our number one priority to make sure everyone has a safe and healthy experience,” he said, adding that a latest survey reveal that 62% of Scouts were satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences so far. Only 8% said they were very unsatisfied, he said.
Organisers have come under fire after numerous accounts of hospital bed shortages, waterlogged conditions caused by earlier heavy rains, rotten food, swarms of mosquitoes and flies, and poor sanitation.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Choi Chang-haeng, secretary general of the event’s organising committee, suggested that overexcitement at the sight of K-pop acts on stage had caused the heat stress.
However, some parents have expressed concerns about the conditions, and the UK’s Foreign Office is known to be closely monitoring the situation.