Singapore scouts to continue with activities in South Korea as typhoon threat forces jamboree evacuation

SINGAPORE: Activities will go on as planned for the Singapore scouts in South Korea, despite a typhoon warning forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of participants from the World Scout Jamboree campsite.

About 43,000 from 155 countries joined the jamboree in North Jeolla province, but an extreme heatwave last week caused hundreds to fall ill.

With a typhoon forecast to hit most of the country, the organisers on Monday (Aug 7) urged the South Korean government to "urgently" evacuate participants from the campsite.

The Singapore contingent relocated to Daejeon city over the weekend amid the soaring temperatures.

Mr Ang Wee Jin, leader of the Singapore contingent, told CNA on Monday that they are set to move to Seoul on Wednesday and fly back to Singapore on Saturday as planned. 

There are 67 participants from Singapore in South Korea, of whom 40 are students aged between 14 and 17. The others are volunteers and teachers.

Mr Ang said that an interim programme had already been organised before the typhoon alert was issued.

“As of this moment, we do have an intention to tour key cultural sites and do some collaborative learning with the UK contingent,” he added.

He said that the team will continue to monitor the situation closely and undertake contingency plans if the typhoon hits Daejeon city or Seoul. 

Organisers of the jamboree "urgently" called for the South Korean government to "expedite the plan for departure and provide all the necessary resources and support for participants during their stay and until they return to their home countries".

Last week, hundreds of scouts were treated for heat-related ailments at the jamboree as temperatures soared.

Several contingents, including Singapore, relocated their participants to other sites over the weekend. None of the Singapore participants fell ill, said Mr Ang.

He added that the Singapore scouts will get to interact with their foreign peers, providing a "whole learning experience for them".

Before the typhoon warning, the Singapore participants told CNA that they were sad that they could not remain at the camping site with their new friends, but they understood why the contingent had to leave.

"I wish I was back here, because of the friendships I forged over the past few days. It feels really sad to leave them halfway through so I would like to come back,” one scout said.

Another said: “It's quite sad when you have to pull out and then you can't be part of the entire event.”

HEATWAVE

Tens of thousands of participants took part in the 12-day event in Saemangeum, where temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius. The global event takes place once every four years.

The military, police and firefighting authorities were sent to the area, along with more medical staff amid the soaring temperatures.

The government had also deployed another 132 air-conditioned buses, increasing the total number to 262. Shuttle buses within the campsite also doubled, with 24 buses that ran at 10-minute intervals, instead of 30 minutes previously.

The military had also installed 69 additional canopies to provide shade throughout the campsite.