Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Daunting tasks await Yoon after vacation
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a national defense innovation committee meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Yoon strives to safeguard Korea's reputation for 2030 Expo amid Jamboree concerns
By Nam Hyun-woo
Once he returns from a weeklong vacation, tough yet urgent challenges are ahead for President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon returned to office, Tuesday, one day earlier than planned, and wasted no time dealing with pending issues.
The top priority seems to be wrapping up the Jamboree event without any additional hiccups. The negligent preparation and clumsy response to the extreme weather conditions that bore down on Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, are raising questions about Korea's ability to host large international events amid nationwide efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in the port city of Busan.
Yoon presided over a national defense innovation committee meeting at his office in Seoul, Tuesday, a day after he returned to Seoul from Jeo Island, South Gyeongsang Province, where the presidential retreat is located.
The president was supposed to take leave until today but returned to work a day early, as the Jamboree was plagued with problems including serious, widespread health concerns under the extreme heat, which were all exacerbated by poor preparations and a questionable campsite location.
On Monday night, Yoon ordered the government to carry out a contingency plan for the Scouts arriving in Seoul, as event organizers decided to make an early exit from the campground due to the approaching Typhoon Khanun. Yoon asked for the government's full-fledged support for the visiting participants so that they can have positive experiences during their remaining stay in Korea.
“Starting immediately, a government team should carry out the contingency plan in which the accommodations of the Scouts and their remaining activities can be relocated to Seoul and its surrounding areas,” Yoon was quoted as saying by senior presidential press secretary Kim Eun-hye.
Following Yoon's order, police plan to deploy traffic officers and rapid response units at the accommodation sites for Scouts and at the sites of cultural experience programs to ensure safety. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will conduct food inspections and provide support through civilian medical personnel to ensure the well-being of the Jamboree's participants.
Also, the government announced that a K-pop concert for the Scouts will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium. It was initially to take place at the campsite on Aug. 6, but plans later changed to Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Aug. 11 and again to Seoul to cater to participants' early exit.
“Initially, the event was not a matter of the president being in charge, but problems snowballed, making Yoon take control of the related matters by himself,” an official from the presidential office said.
Scouts fold up tents as they make an early exit from the 25th World Scout Jamboree campsite in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
The president's efforts come as fears are growing that international criticism of the horrific campsite conditions and management may jeopardize Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions will vote in November on the host city between Busan, Italy's Rome and Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.
“The international reputation of Korea was tarnished,” Rep. Chun Jae-soo, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea whose constituency is in Busan, said during an interview with broadcaster YTN, Tuesday.
“Would you cast the ballot for Busan after seeing Korea's capability of hosting the Jamboree event? It is not just about the Jamboree. Along with the Expo, we will end up tarnishing the positive reputation that Korea has painstakingly built on the international diplomatic stage over the past decades.”
However, a senior government official claimed that “many ambassadors here said the event was okay,” and said "it is inappropriate to talk about this until the end of the event because many Scout groups are still expressing hopes to stay in Korea longer and experience the country's culture.”
The looming typhoon is also a concern for Yoon. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Typhoon Khanun is expected to make landfall on the southern coast early Thursday morning and is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall across the entire country.
Yoon held a meeting with the prime minister and other ministers at the presidential office on Tuesday afternoon to go over the country's disaster management plans and asked the government for thorough preparations.
Boats are docked at a pier of Seogwipo port on Jeju Island, Tuesday, as Typhoon Khanun is expected to make landfall early Thursday. Yonhap
Along with the social issues, Yoon has to address pending political affairs.
This week, Yoon will be reviewing the justice ministry's list of convicts who may receive special presidential pardons for the Aug. 15 National Liberation Day.
There are expectations that pardons could be granted to former Samsung Electronics executives Choi Gee-sung and Jang Choong-gi, and former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Ahn Jong-beom, who are serving prison terms due to their involvement in the bribery scandal of impeached former President Park Geun-hye.
The upcoming trilateral summit between Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is also an issue that Yoon will have to handle.
The three-way summit is anticipated to be a display of stronger bonds between the three countries in the wake of North Korea's missile and nuclear threats and other international security issues. But it is also anticipated to be a moment triggering Pyongyang to strengthen its coupling with China and Russia.