“It’s a bit horrific,” said Sophie, an attender from the UK at the World Scout Jamboree in Buan in South Korea, which has been plagued by challenges resulting from a prolonged heatwave since the event started on Tuesday.
“It’s too hot. We couldn’t do anything the whole day because activities were off,” she added. “And then at night-time, the midges come out. We’ve all been bitten.”
Hundreds of people have needed treatment for heat-related ailments at the site in Buan, about 180 kilometres south-west of Seoul, in recent days. On Thursday, 138 people visited clinics and hospitals with heat-related illnesses, bringing the total seeking treatment to more than 700.
On Friday, the UK Scouts organisation said it would start removing the UK contingent – which numbers 4,500 – to hotels in Seoul in the hope that “this helps alleviate the pressure on the site overall”. And the same day, the global scouting body, the World Organization of the Scout Movement, said it had requested that the hosts, the Korea Scout Association, “consider alternative options to wind down the event earlier than scheduled”.
The Guardian spoke with numerous Scouts and volunteers on the ground. Onsite media access is restricted to a single location known as the Delta zone, and it was not possible to see other places including tent areas. All interactions with participants had to be escorted by the jamboree’s press team, a step designed to safeguard participants from abuse, harassment and misunderstandings, according to organisers.
In the Delta zone, where booths representing all of the nations present were put up, the sound of drums and laughter could be heard in the background. Scouts were rushing to see what each contingent had to offer.
Here and there young people were lying down in vine tunnels to protect themselves from the heat. Some were sticking their heads beneath taps at water stations. Water jets were seen being launched into the sky in the distance to cool people off.
Many of the Scouts were visiting South Korea for the first time. Some had been planning their journey for up to four years.
One Scout, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “When we got off the plane, it was like, wow, we’re actually in Korea.”
On the heat, the Scout added: “It’s sometimes a bit demoralising. We had to wait an hour for the shower this morning. There’s not always toilet paper and there’s no soap around, but it’s OK. There’s some fun activities to do.”
Glen, a volunteer from Malaysia, said he appreciated the “compassion and kindness towards other people in the heat” and the way Scouts were getting together to overcome difficulties.
Another Scout said she had been planning her trip for years, describing it as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. Despite the heat conditions, she said the Scouting spirit was always to look for solutions and remain positive.
Earlier in the day, Jacob Murray, director of world events at the World Organization of the Scout Movement, blamed the heatwave on the climate crisis, and said that “despite the heat conditions, young people and volunteers are having a good time and enjoying their experience”, citing survey results that showed only 8% were “very dissatisfied”.
However, one Scout the Guardian spoke to asked after their interview to retract their comments, saying they felt under pressure to say positive things in the presence of an escort. Some parents of attenders have separately told the Guardian and other media organisations of their concerns over the organisation of the event.
The chaos has caused negative headlines and caused a public relations dilemma for the government. On Instagram, scores of Koreans have been commenting on jamboree-related posts and apologising on behalf of the country and organisers.
The jamboree is also the focus of a political blame game. Its location on reclaimed tidelands has previously been branded an “ecological disaster” by some conservationists. Mega-investment promises in the multibillion-dollar reclamation project have borne little fruit.
The presidential office has blamed the previous liberal government, saying it was responsible for the jamboree during the planning stages. The gender equality ministry – in charge of the event – has problems of its own: deemed no longer useful, the president has pledged to abolish it.
Stuck in the middle are the tens of thousands of Scouts and volunteers from around the world. “Politics is not part of the Scouting spirit,” one of the volunteers said. “Of course, more organisation would have been beneficial, but please don’t make this political.”
On Friday, top government officials took turns at the jamboree to hammer home the message that everything was being done to alleviate difficulties on the ground. Kim Hyun-sook, the gender equality and family minister, announced the government had allocated 6.9bn won (£4.1m) to improve conditions.
The prime minister, Han Duck-soo, said the government would “take a fully active role in ensuring the smooth operation of the event and the maintenance of safety until the single last participant leaves”.
A foreign ministry official told the Guardian that a taskforce had been established to streamline communication between event organisers and diplomatic missions.
At another briefing, the interior minister, Lee Sang-min, said: “We have solved or treated all [of the problems], and the measures will be completed today and tomorrow. I am certain that the parents and concerned parties of the Scout members around the world can trust the Korean government and rest assured.”
