Storm Forecasted To Threaten South Korea; Officials Still Seek Other Venues For World Scout Jamboree

(Photo : Pexels/Ethan Brooke)

A storm is forecasted to hit South Korea prompting participants of the World Scout Jamboree to leave the country.

The enormous event had made headlines in the past days due to its supposed poor preparation, with a large number of participants getting sick because of the extreme hot weather.

According to a BBC report, the Severe Tropical Storm Khanun, which had forced evacuations among residents and cut the electric supply to thousands in Japan, was expected to hit South Korea's southern Jeolla province this coming Thursday.

Weather experts said that Khanun, which was originally classified as a typhoon, has already weakened. However, it is still forecasted to bring powerful winds and heavy rains in the region.

Scouts, coaches already leaving

Aside from the coming severe tropical storm, a huge number of participants decided to no longer push through with joining the event because of the hot temperatures.

An Aljazeera report said that hundreds of participants have already been treated after acquiring heat-related illnesses. There have been complaints that most of the young people were observed to be staying under a massive area that has no trees and lacks protection from the extreme summer heat.

Thousands of scouts from the United States and the United Kingdom already left the event venue, which is situated on a giant makeshift campsite in Saemangeum in South Korea's west coast. So far, around 4,500 scouts from the UK were transferred to hotels in Seoul while about 1,000 US scouts were already relocated to Camp Humphreys, which is considered as a major US military base that is 70 kilometers or 45 miles south of Seoul.

Ahmad Alhendawi, who serves as the secretary general of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, lamented that the current weather conditions have forced authorities to make adjustments on their plans regarding the event.

Alhendawi noted that it was the first time that the World Scout Jamboree was hounded with such compounded challenges.

Meteorologists from South Korea's weather agency said Khanun is expected to gain strength slightly before making landfall on the Korean Peninsula on Thursday morning.

Authorities from the South Korea's safety ministry already instructed local officials to make preparations on closing down coastal areas, hiking trails, river parks, underpass tunnels and other places that are considered to be vulnerable to floods.

Change in venue

South Korean authorities started their operation to relocate nearly 40,000 teenage scouts from around the world as they decided to change venue for the event, according to a CNN report.

Lee Sang-min, the country's interior and safety minister, said that the government would still continue the event despite problems along the way.

Around 1,000 buses carrying thousands of scouts were seenleaving the jamboree site. These buses were escorted by a total of 273 police patrol vehicles and four police helicopters as the participants will be transferred to a total of 128 accommodation sites across the country.

The head of the country's ruling People's Power Party, Kim Gi-hyeon, had issued a public apology over the mess as he suggested the conduct of a probe on the matter.

The said event is described as the world's largest youth camp wherein thousands of scouts from around the world were gathered every four years.