Because of an approaching tropical storm, South Korea has started the early evacuation of the world’s largest scout camp. More than 1,000 buses are being used to bring the more than 36,000 mostly young participants in the World Scout Meeting from their camp on the west coast of South Korea to the capital Seoul and other regions of the country, South Korean broadcasters reported.
At the expense of the South Korean government, they are to be accommodated in hotels, student residences and training centers, among other things. According to the German contingent, its 2,200 participants should live in permanent accommodation in Seoul and the surrounding area until they return home. The camp of this year’s World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum was originally scheduled to last until August 12th.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo spoke of a precautionary measure with regard to the evacuation, according to the national news agency Yonhap. According to the weather agency, the strong typhoon “Khanun” is currently moving north towards the Korean peninsula and could make landfall there on Thursday in the southeast. Strong winds and heavy rainfall are expected.
Rain and a subsequent extreme heat wave had plagued the Scout meeting since it began on August 1st. The world association had therefore spoken out in favor of an early termination at the end of last week. However, most state associations decided to stay. However, thousands of participants from Great Britain, the USA and Singapore left the campsite.
The camp, for which more than 43,000 Boy Scouts from 158 countries had registered, was located on an area reclaimed from the sea. Saemangeum offered no natural shade for the participants, who were housed in more than 20,000 tents. The World Scout Meeting takes place every four years.
