Scout mother criticizes safety conditions at World Scout Jamboree in South Korea
A mother has spoken out about the safety conditions at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, calling the event “clearly wasn’t safe.” The 16-year-old daughter of the anonymous mother had raised almost £3,500 to attend the jamboree through various fundraising efforts, but her experience turned out to be far from what she expected.
According to her mother, the campsite in Saemangeum was not ready when the group arrived, forcing them to spend an extra night in a hotel in Seoul. Once they were transferred to the campsite, the Scouts faced a “perfect storm” of failures, including a lack of food and medical facilities, “filthy” toilets and showers, and an “infestation” of mosquitoes that caused “severe” bites.
The extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 38C, also took a toll on the participants, resulting in hundreds falling sick from heat-related illnesses. The mother described the lack of medical facilities, scarce food, and unclean water as major issues. Additionally, she criticized the organizers for not anticipating the cancellation of outdoor activities due to the heat.
Despite the South Korean government insisting the event was safe enough to continue, UK Scouts decided to withdraw from the jamboree due to “severe” health and safety concerns. This decision, which affected over 4,000 participants, was made just three days after the event began. The mother of the East Midlands Scout supported the decision, stating that there were significant safety concerns.
The Scout from the East Midlands left the campsite with her unit and returned to Seoul. Initially, she had to sleep on the floor of a conference room due to a lack of available rooms. However, she was provided with a room on Sunday and will continue with Jamboree activities until she flies home to the UK.
The mother expressed disappointment at the withdrawal, as this was her daughter’s only chance to attend a Jamboree due to age limits. She also questioned how the Scouts were allowed to attend the event when it was clearly unsafe.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement responded to the criticism, stating that nearly 40,000 participants had safely departed from the campsite ahead of the expected arrival of Typhoon Khanun. They praised the Scouts for demonstrating leadership, determination, and teamwork during the challenging situation caused by adverse weather.
The concerns raised by the mother have shed light on the safety conditions at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, prompting further examination of the organizers’ preparedness and response to the event.