The World Scout Jamboree 2023 at the Saemangeum camp in South Korea’s North Jeolla province will end ahead of schedule as Typhoon Khanun will land on the country’s southeastern coast later this week, so all scouts will be evacuated from the camp today and relocated to Seoul.
Macau Scout Association Director Laurence Chau Shing-chun told reporters in Macau yesterday that the association is now liaising with airlines, travel agencies and hotels there to ensure the safe return of all the local participants, adding that the related information will be released after all the relevant logistics have been confirmed.
Chau noted that there are currently 53 Macau participants in South Korea, including their leaders, and the association will arrange for them to return to Macau as soon as possible and will arrange for accommodation for the rest of the time in South Korea.
The World Scout Jamboree, which is held every four years, was slated to take place from August 1 to August 12. The camp was originally held at Saemangeum Camp in North Jeolla province, with more than 40,000 participants from 158 countries and regions around the world.
However, children in the camp complained of encountering flooding, high temperatures, serious mosquito bites and other adverse conditions during the first few days. The UK, US and Singapore chose to leave the camp early, according to South Korea’s Yonhap newswire.
According to Yonhap, the organiser will arrange for the more than 40,000 participants from various countries to move to indoor spaces in different locations to eliminate the possible impact of the typhoon, and will also provide accommodation and medical care, and at the same time arrange transportation.
According to Yonhap, the South Korean government is considering housing the scouts in university dormitories, corporate training facilities or gymnasiums in downtown Seoul.
The organiser now plans to hold the closing ceremony of the World Jamboree on Friday, and arrange a K-pop gig to conclude the event, while the transport arrangements for participants to get to the airport in Seoul will be implemented on Saturday.
