UK Scouts enjoy alternative programs in Seoul, Incheon

British Scouts watch a guard-changing ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace in downtown Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Capital region caters to visitors with local tourism sites

By Ko Dong-hwan

Despite their early exit from the World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, due to extreme heat conditions, British Scouts are enjoying alternative tour programs offered by the Seoul and Incheon governments.

On Monday afternoon, some Scouts from the United Kingdom visited Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, where they saw a guard-changing ceremony. The British Scouts were part of the 4,300-member delegation that withdrew from the Jamboree over the weekend, the first country to do so.

Previously on Sunday night, the city saw 155 British Scouts enjoying the city nightscape. In four buses accommodated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Scouts rode along the Han River and dropped by local tourism hotspots.

Cooling off with hand fans in the warm summer night and earphones for audio guides provided by the city government, the Scouts started from Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul at about 9:30 p.m. They first headed westbound to Mapo Bridge and cruised along the Gangbyeon Expressway on the south side of the river, taking in panoramic views of the city's numerous skyscrapers, vast urban communities and riverside infrastructure. With some humming along with “Eye of the Tiger” coming from speakers while checking out the city, the moonlight tour was cheerful.

Crossing Hannam Bridge to the river's north, they arrived at Mount Nam in central Seoul. They spent about 30 minutes there looking over the city from the top of N Seoul Tower. It was followed by a traditional bazaar experience at Namdaemun Market and a visit to Cheonggye Plaza, a public space next to the restored Cheonggye Stream downtown. They returned to Gwanghwamun, where the bus tour started, at about 10:40 p.m.

British Scouts catch a city tour bus at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Kester Sharpe, one of the managers from the British delegation, said during the bus tour that he was glad he could show off Seoul and introduce various aspects of the city to the Scouts. He said the Scouts, before the tour, visited Buddhist temples and royal palaces, tasted various street food and watched theater plays.

The biggest hardship the team has experienced in Korea was the sweltering weather, which went beyond what the Scouts were used to, Sharpe said.

The city tour came after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon held a meeting with U.K. Scout Association Chief Executive Matt Hyde and British Deputy Ambassador to Seoul Gareth Weir at City Hall earlier in the day to discuss how to serve the U.K. delegation in the city.

The British representatives requested the mayor that the city offer public spaces the U.K. Scouts can visit and use and Oh checked if Seoul Square, Gwanghwamun Square and Yeouido Hangang Park were available for them. The representatives also requested public venues where Scouts can participate in street performances, to which the mayor said he will support it by mentioning some of the city's most popular busking spots including the entertainment district near Hongik University in western Seoul.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, center, poses with British Deputy Ambassador to Seoul Gareth Weir, second from right, U.K. Scout Association Chief Executive Matt Hyde, right, and other representatives of the U.K. Scouts at Seoul City Hall, Sunday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The city authority also agreed to offer large-scale indoor spaces where the Scouts can experience Korean culture, and a 30 percent discount for the Discover Seoul Pass that provides access to the city's major tourism hotspots.

Meanwhile, 960 other British scouts arrived in Incheon on late Sunday, where they were put up in three different hotels on Yeongjong Island. Incheon Metropolitan City, eager to impress the visitors, said Monday it will cater to the visitors with various tourism programs at city hotspots including Songdo International Business District, Chinatown, Wolmi Island, Gyeongin Ara Waterway and Ganghwa Island.

The city government said they have already discussed with representatives of Scouts from other countries and completed an itinerary for Scouts from Mexico, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, the Czech Republic and Japan.