There Is A Threat Of Typhoon Khanun, International Scout Jambore Participants Will Be Evacuated Starting Tomorrow

Jambore Pramuka Internasional 2023 in South Korea. (Source: WSBureau inc. Allexander Rydberg)

JAKARTA - The South Korean government on Monday announced that all participants of the International Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, would be evacuated to Seoul and its surroundings, as Topan Khanun's threat is expected to hit the country on Thursday.

Starting Tuesday morning, tens of thousands of young Scout members will be evacuated to a wider area of Seoul, under an emergency plan. About 1,000 buses will be deployed to transport about 36,000 participants from 156 countries.

"The relocation process will start at 10 am and the participants will be moved in succession... We expect the entire process to take about six hours, but it will probably take longer depending on the situation," Deputy Minister of Disaster Management and Safety Kim Sung-ho said at a briefing held at the camp site., reported the Korea Times 7 August.

Meanwhile, Gender and Family Equality Minister Kim Hyun-sook stressed that early return from the camp site did not mean closing earlier than the four-year meeting.

"We are reviewing various activities with local governments, I think we are expanding the Jambore scale," he said.

The officials were unable to immediately provide an exact amount or the type of accommodation that would be provided to young scouters, saying discussions with local governments were ongoing.

Separately, President Yoon Suk Yeol was briefed on contingency plans for Jambore from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Minister of Home Affairs and Security Lee Sang-min on Monday morning.

"The contingency plan means that Scout accommodation and their remaining activities can be moved to Seoul and its surroundings," senior Presidential Press Secretary Kim Eun-hye said in a written briefing.

Topan Khanun moved over the waters about 330 kilometers northeast of Okinawa, Japan, at 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA). The Ginseng State weather agency expects the tropical storm to land on the southeast coast on Thursday morning.

KMA classifies Khanun as the "strong" typhoon - the second-highest level in a four-level system - and says most of the country's territory will be under its influence before leaving Korea on Saturday.