Dutch scouts evacuated from World Jamboree grounds in South Korea as typhoon nears

The World Jamboree on the Korean coast has been halted due to an impending typhoon. Participants, including an estimated 2,000 Dutch scouts, are being relocated to the Seoul area for an alternative program. This involves relocating around 36,000 scouts and volunteers, who will be transported to various places in the region of the South Korean capital using over a thousand buses, according to South Korean media. Only 4,400 of them will head to the city of Seoul, where the government has arranged accommodation at 17 locations. Half of them are destined for the Gyeonggi region near Seoul.

In a hurry, the government arranged for transportation and shelter, but organizing it for such a large number of teenagers proved to be complicated. Still, places were found in university complexes and other educational and sports institutions. According to a spokesperson for the Dutch scouts, some of the Dutch participants had arrived by Tuesday afternoon (Netherlands time), while others were still on their way. The new accommodations are "much more luxurious than a tent," the spokesperson remarked, adding that the participants are enjoying themselves.

South Korean media and politicians view the chaotic jamboree as a national embarrassment. The gathering, which brought together 43,000 teenagers from scout associations of almost 160 countries, had already been criticized for poor preparations to handle the intense summer heat. Just as problems related to the heat seemed to have been managed, a warning was issued on Monday forecasting a hurricane on the south coast by Thursday. This necessitated the evacuation of participants from the low-lying polder terrain on the coast near Saemangeum, roughly 175 kilometers south of Seoul. Some participants had already left the previous week due to the ongoing heatwave.

The government has allocated additional funds for the remaining days of the jamboree and arranged for accommodations in and around Seoul, along with an alternative program that includes tourist excursions to get to know South Korea. The program has been shortened by a day and will now conclude on Friday evening with a pop concert at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in western Seoul. This event is expected to feature K-pop, with an appearance by the group BTS, although two of its members currently serve in the military. A parliamentarian has called on the high command to grant these two members leave, arguing that the nation is already deeply embarrassed.

Political parties in South Korea are blaming each other for the jamboree's shortcomings. The current ruling party accuses its predecessor of having initiated the decision to hold the gathering in Saemangeum. Meanwhile, the current opposition blames the government for failing in its organization.