Parents of participants in the World Scout Jamboree event, where heat-related illnesses are appearing one after another due to the heat, burst out in anger, saying, “There is nothing that is not a problem, such as heat, meals, bathrooms, and showers.” Parents of foreign participants also continue to protest against the organizers through social networking services ( SNS
), etc. Mr. A, whose middle school student children are camping at the event, appeared on MBC ‘s radio program ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Attention’ on the morning of the 3rd. said. Mr. A said, “The child received a lot of ultraviolet rays on the first day, so he had 안전놀이터a high fever, vomiting, and chills.” After that, he said that food, drinks, toilets, and showers were all problems and that it was very difficult.”
Mr. A said, “The shower facility is made of a tent, but you can see (the inside) from the side. Some of the bathrooms are unisex (common), and they say they are dirty because they are not cleaned.” “I don’t think there is anything that is not a problem. This is a dereliction of duty.”
The World Jamboree is a joint camping event of the World Scout Federation held every four years. The competition will be held from the 1st to the 12th at Saemangeum reclaimed land in Buan-gun, North Jeolla Province, with 43,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17 from 158 countries participating.
Mr. A argued that the participants who were tired of the heat wave were not considered at the opening ceremony held the evening before, with President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Kun-hee in attendance. Mr. A said, “The day before yesterday, the felt temperature was 40 degrees. From what I heard from the child, the participants said they were completely exhausted.” “Some kids went to the hospital due to dehydration, but the most shocking thing at the event (to those kids) was that they asked all the guests to stand up and give a big round of applause (to see them). I thought I was really going backwards. I am so angry and I don’t understand.”
According to the words of the Organizing Committee, Jeollabuk-do Province, Jeonbuk Police Agency, and Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, 139 patients occurred at the opening ceremony the day before, and 108 of them were classified as heat-related illnesses. Earlier, in a briefing on the afternoon of the previous day, the organizing committee said, “After the opening on the 1st, 807 people complained of headaches at the venue, and 400 of them were confirmed to have heat-related illnesses.”
Mr. A said, “When accidents happen, we must prevent problems in advance, not analyze them,” and “(Even now) cool water and environment must be provided through electricity. I wish I could turn on a fan in the tent.”
Parents of foreign participants are also posting comments one after another on the event’s official Facebook page, pointing out the lack of preparation by the organizers. “Her son’s unit arrived late and he spent his first night in the school gym,” said a mother who sent her son (Kristen Windu). With no campsite, no tent, no gear, the second night was spent on the ground. He seems to be in a good mood now, but his heart aches as he sees his son’s dream turning into a nightmare. It is so sad that the organizers are not ready,” she wrote.
A father (Ricardo Visca) who sent her daughter said, “What is happening at the Jamboree. She says her daughter is there and she is completely disorganized, in extreme heat, and no food is served. It is said that people from Australia and England got into a fist fight because there wasn’t enough space to pitch their tents and they filled them with water and mud. It is said that there is not enough water and it is too hot. Please do something,” he protested. Another netizen (Anna Duvanievich) who appeared to be a participant also said, “It is a shame for all of Korea.”
Dissatisfaction from the parents of foreign participants continued on the SNS of world-renowned adventurer and broadcaster Bear Grylls, who gave a speech at the opening ceremony the day before. “My daughter said the campground was flooded, there were no proper showers, and meals were not served on time,” said one parent who sent her daughter away. This Jamboree is completely different from what the organizers said, and it is really terrible.” Domestic netizens shared a video capture of Bear Grylls sweating while giving a speech for about 10 minutes, and pointed out, “Bear Grylls, the king of remote survival, looks like this, but the children will be shocked.”