[News Terms] 'World Scout Jamboree' Faces Emergency Due to Heatwave

The "World Scout Jamboree" is a global youth camping festival held every four years by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It is attended by youth scouts aged 14 to 17 from around the world, as well as event staff, university students, and adults serving as leaders.

With tens of thousands of youth and leaders participating from over 150 member countries worldwide, it is the largest international youth event that contributes to the growth of young people as global citizens through cultural exchange and friendship fostered by various programs.

On the opening day of the '2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree' on the 1st, part of the event site in Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do was submerged in water.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The first World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920 in London, England, and except for cancellations due to the two World Wars and the Iranian Revolution, it has been held every four years without fail. Scouts who participate in the Jamboree receive participation badges.

The term "Jamboree" is a compound word derived from the North American Indian word "shivaree," meaning a noisy celebration, and "jam," meaning crowd. It is known to have undergone phonetic changes as it was introduced to Europe.

At the 41st World Scout Conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in August 2017, South Korea was selected as the host country for the 25th World Scout Jamboree.

According to Jeonbuk Province and the Jeonbuk Medical Association on the 3rd, over 1,000 cases of heat-related illnesses have occurred during the first three days of the Jamboree, which has been underway since the 1st in Saemangeum, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk. On the 2nd, the day of the opening ceremony, 100 people collapsed from the heat. With the Jamboree scheduled to continue until the 12th and forecasts predicting ongoing heatwaves, concerns are growing that the number of heat-related illness cases could reach into the thousands.

Poor event management has also been pointed out as an issue. Mold was found on baked eggs among the food supplies delivered to Jamboree participants by the organizing committee, and there has been controversy over inflated prices at the Jamboree’s internal market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.