The Saemangeum Jamboree became the ‘Korea Jamboree’ from the 8th. Following the international disgrace due to the heatwave and lack of preparation, they chose to withdraw from Saemangeum as a typhoon approached.
About 37,000 scout members who participated in the 2023 World Scout Jamboree left Saemangeum that day and moved to eight cities and provinces across the country. When the forecast came out that Typhoon No. 6 ‘Kanon’ would penetrate the Korean Peninsula, the World Scout Federation, the Jamboree Organizing Committee, and the government decided to withdraw early from Saemangeum the day before. Members scattered by country will participate in programs prepared by local governments until the end of the Jamboree on the 12th. Along with public opinion that the responsibility for the inevitable choice must be revealed, voices are also growing that “first of all, we must prepare an opportunity for a good fortune during the remaining period.”
A large movement of 37,000 people… Local governments hurriedly prepare countermeasures
Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min held a briefing at the Jamboree Press Center on the same day and said, “Since the first bus carrying the Taiwanese delegation departed at 9:00 am, 1014 buses have left sequentially for each destination.” According to the Organizing Committee, 4 police helicopters and 273 patrol cars were put in for the ‘movement’ of 37,000 participants from 156 countries. The delegation boarded the bus for each country, and an interpreter was also deployed.
Participants entered 128 accommodations in 8 cities and provinces sequentially. By region ▶Seoul, 17 lodgings, 3,133 people, 8 countries ▶Gyeonggi-do, 64 lodgings, 13,568 people, 88 countries ▶Incheon, 8 accommodations, 27 countries, 3,257 people ▶Daejeon, 6 accommodations, 2 countries, 1,355 people ▶Sejong, 3 lodgings, 2 countries, 716 people ▶ 2710 people in 3 countries in 7 accommodations in Chungbuk ▶ 6274 people in 18 countries in 18 accommodations in Chungnam ▶ 5541 people in 10 countries in 5 accommodations in Jeonbuk.
Bang Bang-kyu, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said in a briefing, “University dormitories are the most common, and government agencies and corporate training centers are mostly used as accommodations.” He continued, “The criteria for selecting lodgings were considered so that each country could accommodate a large number of people at once, so that each country would not be dispersed.” Accommodation costs will be settled after consultation with each local government. In other words, the private sector, such as universities and corporations, played the role of a “salvage pitcher” in the face of administrative failure. Corporate training centers such as the Samsung Life Human Center in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do (150 people from 4 countries), Hyundai Motor Company Book Campus (500 people from 2 countries), and Yonsei University Songdo Campus (800 people from 18 countries) disclosed to the media the scene of the crew entering the camp. . However, the scouting federation and organizing committee restricted individual coverage of the members by the media.
Although the urgent fire of providing lodging was extinguished, it is pointed out that normal operation of the tournament has become difficult for the rest of the period as the members are scattered across the country. Regarding this, Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook said, “It is no longer held in Saemangeum, but the Jamboree is being held throughout Korea as an activity outside of the territory. Since there were many programs with local governments, we developed more programs in the direction of making use of the existing purpose,” she explained. Minister Lee Sang-min said, “We will reflect (in the program) as much as possible so that the spirit of the Jamboree can be revived.”
Eight local governments were put on emergency alert. It hastily started to develop cultural and tourism programs. A government official in Gyeonggi-do said, “With a sudden order, we held a meeting until late at night the previous day (7th) and are preparing various programs.” Gyeonggi-do, which accommodates the largest number of people, formed the ‘Jamboree메이저사이트 Member Stay Support TF (Task Force)’. Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where 1,360 Jamboree participants are scheduled to visit, said, “While it has not been finalized which programs will be shown to children, we are reviewing all available programs.”
A public official from a local government pointed out, “The actual number of visitors is different from the notice received from the government, and everything is outdated.” Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where about 200 British soldiers who decided to leave early are living, also announced that it would prepare a program for them from the same day. An official from Seongnam City said, “We figured out that they came down to Seongnam because there was no accommodation in Seoul.”
It takes more than six hours to get out of Saemangeum, and as a large number of people flock to eight local governments, measures such as medical support are needed. Some local doctors voiced criticism, saying, “If they prepared with such a large budget, the medical staff should have prepared a long time ago.” An official from a health care-related organization said, “I am embarrassed to say that a military doctor is enough and they refuse to cooperate, and now they are looking for it.”
Minister Kim Hyun-sook’s remarks were also controversial. Minister Kim said at the briefing that day, “I think now is the time to show the world the capabilities of the Republic of Korea through crisis response. (This incident) can rather show the crisis management capabilities of the Republic of Korea.” It was a statement to refute the concern that poor preparation for the Jamboree would adversely affect the hosting of the Busan Expo, but criticism arose that the remarks of the minister in charge of this situation were inappropriate.
Choi Jin, director of the Presidential Leadership Research Institute, pointed out, “The key to crisis management is promptness, but in such a large international event, ministers from various ministries were unable to respond promptly.” Lee Yeon-taek, professor emeritus of the department of tourism at Hanyang University (president of the Tourism Policy Research Association), said, “Disasters due to weather conditions such as typhoons should have been prepared with ‘Plan A’ rather than ‘Plan B ’ . Instead of adapting to the programs of local governments, we need to create a program that revives the spirit of the Jamboree by allowing the control tower to operate in perfect order.”
Medical support is also a fire in the foot… “total failure”