Jeonbuk Governor: "Jamboree Event, Prepared as Much as Possible... But Overlapping Heatwave Issues"

Jeonbuk Governor Kim Kwan-young MBC Radio Interview
"Changing Jamboree Venue is Practically Difficult"

As the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree takes place amid a heatwave, issues such as a surge in heat-related illnesses and inadequate facilities have arisen. In response, Kim Kwan-young, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, stated, "This year’s heatwave is particularly severe compared to previous years, so these problems seem to have overlapped."

Governor Kim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 4th and said, "We have done our best to prepare as much as possible," adding, "However, because the heatwave is so intense, the existing facilities are not sufficient to provide comfort."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, a heat illness patient is receiving treatment at the Jamboree Hospital within the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree campsite in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

He explained, "Basically, the World Scout Jamboree is primarily organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. However, to properly conduct the event, an organizing committee was formed, and three ministers from the South Korean government serve as co-chairpersons of the committee."

He continued, "Jeollabuk-do has only about 130 staff members dispatched to the organizing committee in total," and said, "Since the event is held in Jeollabuk-do, if the secretariat requests support, Jeollabuk-do provides assistance."

Regarding calls to suspend the Jamboree or change its location, he said, "That is practically impossible," explaining, "There are nearly 50,000 people, and moving the event would require facilities capable of supporting issues like restroom availability."

Governor Kim added, "I am currently sleeping here every day," and said, "It is quite chilly enough to need a blanket at dawn, but during the day, many are struggling due to the heatwave."

Addressing criticism about insufficient event preparation, he said, "There are aspects that exceeded the initial expectations, but some parts of the programs are highly satisfactory," and shared, "I personally observed the off-site programs, and all the students were satisfied."

Furthermore, Governor Kim stated, "I had a meeting lasting about three hours with the three ministers who are co-chairpersons of the organizing committee," and added, "We have listed various issues raised so far and developed specific improvement plans for about 25 items, along with a roadmap, and we are doing our best to ensure that these measures are implemented as quickly as possible."

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