Seoul, South Korea—As Tropical Storm Khanun approaches, South Korea is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree. Starting tomorrow, 36,000 scouts, primarily teenagers from 158 countries, will be transported by bus from the coastal jamboree site in the county of Buan to various venues in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area. Government training centers, education facilities, and hotels are being secured to accommodate the scouts during this evacuation. The decision to evacuate the scouts comes after British and American scouts had already left due to high temperatures at the site. The British scouts were transferred to hotels in Seoul, while the American scouts were relocated to Camp Humphreys, a U.S. military base south of Seoul. The evacuation process is expected to take at least six hours, and the campsite will no longer be used for any events after the scouts have departed.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement has urgently called on the South Korean government to ensure the safety and provide necessary support to the scouts. South Korea classifies Khanun as a typhoon, characterized by winds exceeding 38 miles per hour. The country’s weather agency predicts that Khanun will weaken to a storm within the next few days. However, it is uncertain exactly where the scouts will be housed during this evacuation. Detailed plans are still awaiting confirmation from government officials.
Khanun has taken an unconventional, meandering path around Japan’s southwestern islands, causing heavy rain, power outages, and disruptions in transportation. Currently, the storm has sustained winds of 67 miles per hour, with higher gusts, and is expected to remain at this strength as it brushes Japan’s main island of Kyushu. South Korea’s weather agency forecasts that Khanun will make landfall in South Korea on Thursday morning, with potential winds reaching 95 miles per hour. Large regions of the country, including Buan, may experience the storm as early as Wednesday.
In response to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s call for contingency plans, scouts will be relocated to hotels and other facilities in the greater Seoul area. The South Korean government is working on organizing new cultural events and activities for the scouts, including a possible K-pop concert at a Seoul soccer stadium on Friday. In terms of the jamboree, officials do not view the evacuation as an early conclusion, but rather as an opportunity to expand the program by creating new activities with regional governments away from the campsite.
Efforts are underway to ensure a smooth evacuation process, with over 340 evacuation venues secured near Buan, such as community centers and gyms. Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, has also stepped in to assist by providing medical staff to treat scouts affected by the heat, as well as supplying electric carts, air conditioners, toilets, generators, and other necessary equipment.
As South Korea takes precautionary steps, the safety of the scouts remains the top priority. The evacuation process aims to keep everyone out of harm’s way and provide them with alternative accommodations and engaging activities until they can safely return to their home countries.
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