SAEMANGEUM, South Korea – American Boy Scouts fled the campground of the 2023 World Scout Jamboree in South Korea over the weekend. A historic heat wave has sickened hundreds since the event began on August 1.
Over 600 kids and volunteers were treated for heat illnesses in just the first two days of the gathering, according to Al Jazeera. Over 130 more were treated on Saturday.
On Saturday, the U.K. contingent of over 1,000 scouts left for hotels in Seoul, about 130 miles away. The Americans will stay at a U.S. military base to “continue their Jamboree experience” in another location,” said the World Organization of the Scout Movement in a post. Al Jazeera reported that the Singapore contingent was also seeking alternate accommodations.
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The Korean government spent millions to send almost 100 more doctors and nurses to the camp. The South Korean President pledged, at a press conference, to send an “unlimited supply” of air-conditioned buses, refrigerator trucks and water trucks.
“Over the past 24 hours, we note the significant resources which have been mobilized to improve the campsite’s facilities and services to help participants cope with the impact of the severe heat wave affecting this country have had an increased improvement,” said World Scout Federation Director Jacob Murray.
Even so, the World Organization of the Scout Movement urged the Korean Scout Association and the government to cut the Jamboree short on Friday.
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“WOSM today asked the Host to consider alternative options to end the event earlier than scheduled and support the participants until they depart for their home countries,” the organization posted in a statement. “The Host decided to go ahead with the event, assuring that they will do everything possible to address the issues caused by the heat wave by adding additional resources.”
While the Jamboree has not been cut short, the heat has altered some scheduled events.
“We have decided to postpone tonight’s Semangeum K-pop concert because we should not give up or let our guard down on safety issues,” said South Korea’s Minister of the Interior and Safety at a press conference.
Temperatures hit the century mark at the camp on day one. Seoul hit 95 during the week.
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“This isn’t what we signed up for. This isn’t what we were expecting,” Mom of a scout, Kristin Sayers told FOX News. “And I know Mother Nature is unpredictable, and we can’t do anything about the heat, but it sounds like the problems with this go way beyond the heat. There’s not enough food. There’s not enough water.”
The FOX Forecast Center calls for highs of 90 to 95 through Thursday. Temps should cool late week, but the threat of thunderstorms is in the forecast daily. And the last day, the forecast calls for rain.