Outdoor events for Jamboree Scouts canceled due to typhoon
Mexican Scouts participating the 25th World Scout Jamboree visit the Lotte World amusement park in Seoul, Thursday, as all outdoor activities were suspended due to safety concerns over Typhoon Khanun. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Jun Ji-hye
All outdoor events prepared for Scouts participating in the 25th World Scout Jamboree were replaced with indoor activities on Thursday, as Typhoon Khanun, accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds, passes through the Korean Peninsula.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the safety and health of the Jamboree participants should be the top priority and instructed local governments to refrain from holding outdoor programs.
“Local governments should once again check areas near accommodation where the participants are currently staying, in preparation for possible floods and mudslides there,” Han said during a government emergency response meeting on the Jamboree.
About 37,000 youths and adult volunteers left the Jamboree venue in Saemangeum, a reclaimed tidal flat in North Jeolla Province, Tuesday, four days ahead of schedule due to the typhoon. They are now scattered throughout 128 accommodation facilities in Seoul and seven other regions across the country and participating in a variety of programs offered by each local government.
Mexican Scouts participating in the 25th World Scout Jamboree ride a merry-go-round during their visit to the Lotte World amusement park in Seoul, Thursday, as all outdoor activities were suspended due to safety concerns over Typhoon Khanun. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The Seoul Metropolitan Government canceled all outdoor events scheduled for the day, holding alternative programs indoors at places such as Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Digital Media City and LoL Park.
At DDP, the Scouts were invited to learn about the history and architectural changes of the Dongdaemun area through tours.
A docent program was offered by B the B, a beauty and fashion brand experience space created within DDP, featuring artificial intelligence-based skin analysis and tattoo printing.
A tour program to an exclusive “League of Legends” (LoL) themed complex, called LoL Park, kicked off on Thursday and will run through Sunday.
“After suspending outdoor events, we strengthened indoor experience programs for the Jamboree Scouts,” a city government official said. “We will make a decision on whether to resume outdoor events on Friday after monitoring the situation.”
Scouts staying in Daejeon, in the central part of the country, also participated in various indoor programs.
According to a city official, Daejeon organized visits to the National Science Museum as well as orchestra and Korean classical music performances at Chungnam National University for Brazilian and Vietnamese Scouts.
Department store franchise Shinsegae pitched in, supporting the Scouts' visit to its Art and Science building in the city.
Gyeonggi Province offered orchestra performances, while Icheon City and Gwangju City prepared a tour of SK hynix's chip factory and a pottery experience program, respectively.
Bolivian Scouts participating in the 25th World Scout Jamboree take a selfie while participating in a tea ceremony experience program at Suwon Traditional Culture Center, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap
The Jamboree participants are scheduled to attend a K-pop concert at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday after the closing ceremony being held at the same place.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the government will deploy personnel at major spots at the stadium to minimize congestion and ensure the safe and orderly movement of crowds.
The government will also install four emergency medical care facilities and deploy around 40 medical staff and 10 ambulances.
To ease traffic congestion in the capital expected throughout the day, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the entry of vehicles to roads around the stadium will be controlled from 2 p.m. until the end of the concert later that day.
“We expect the concert to finish at around 11 p.m.,” a police officer said, noting that the agency will deploy some 300 traffic police officers and install standing signboards to minimize confusion.