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Korea puts final touches on 25th World Scout Jamboree
Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook speaks about the government's preparations for the 25th World Scout Jamboree during a media briefing held at the Government Complex in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
43,000 teenagers from around the world to gather in Saemangeum
By Jun Ji-hye
Korea is finalizing its preparations for the 25th World Scout Jamboree that will take place this August on reclaimed land at Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, on the west coast, bringing together some 43,000 teenagers from 170 countries, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Sunday.
Organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the World Scout Jamboree is the world's largest youth camp held every four years, offering a venue for young people from around the world to learn about each other's cultures and build friendships.
Korea was chosen to host the Jamboree event at the 41st World Scout Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in August 2017. This will be the second Jamboree to be held in Korea after the one held in Goseong, Gangwon Province, in 1991.
Poster for the 25th World Scout Jamboree / Courtesy of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
In a bid to discuss measures to support the event and ensure the safety of participants, the government held a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Friday.
“The upcoming event will be meaningful in that some 43,000 youngsters from 170 countries will have a chance to gather for cultural exchanges at a time when people around the world are returning to normality after the COVID-19 pandemic,” Han said.
“The government will focus all of its administrative capability on operating a variety of programs and ensuring safety.”
During the meeting, the government decided to simplify visa issuance procedures and operate exclusive immigration checkpoints at Incheon International Airport to make sure that overseas participants do not experience any inconveniences.
The government will also provide transportation and traffic information as well as police personnel so participants from overseas can move to the event site promptly and safely.
Various safety measures have been planned to prevent infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and any accidents that could be caused by high temperatures or heavy rainfall. The Korean summer is usually in full swing in August and heavy rain and floods are common.
Seventeen medical facilities, including eight offering emergency medical services, will be operated at the event site, which will be backed by nearby Wonkwang University Hospital.
The government will install a temporary meteorological observatory to offer up-to-date weather information and utilize nearby schools and gymnasiums as emergency shelters in case of natural disasters.
The left photo shows the map location of Saemangeum, the country's largest-ever land reclamation project, where the 25th World Scout Jamboree will take place this August, while the right photo shows a computer-generated aerial image of the event site. Captured from 25th World Scout Jamboree official website
In particular, the government is paying keen attention to crowd management measures.
Security guards and police will be deployed in various places to minimize congestion during opening and closing ceremonies as well as K-pop performances.
“Local governments vowed to dispatch the best they have. We will also recruit private experts to ensure the Jamboree event is held successfully,” said Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook, who co-heads the organizing committee for the upcoming event.