'Vacation That Doesn't Feel Like Vacation'... Yoon Switches to Work Mode Amid Jamboree and Other Incidents

Jamboree Event, Apartment Poor Construction, Seohyeon Station Stabbing Incident
Urgent Orders Given via Phone to Resolve Issues Promptly
Vacation Jinx Similar to Previous Presidents

President Yoon Suk-yeol is on the fifth day of his summer vacation on the 6th, but various issues have arisen, including the defective construction of Mu-ryang-pan apartments that surfaced before the vacation, the disruption of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree during the vacation, and the stabbing attack at Seohyeon Station, making it a "vacation that doesn't feel like a vacation."

According to the Presidential Office on the 6th, President Yoon issued three public orders to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the government regarding measures for the Jamboree from the first day of his summer vacation on the 2nd until the previous day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since the Jamboree began on the 1st, a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 35°C has continued daily, but due to a lack of facilities and supplies such as shade shelters and bottled water, many heatstroke patients have appeared. Poor drainage caused puddles, leading to criticism calling it a "survival game" and pointing to the lack of preparation by the organizing committee, local governments, and the government.

On the first day of his vacation, the 2nd, after attending the Jamboree opening ceremony in Buan County, Jeonbuk Province, President Yoon ordered, "Thoroughly inspect and take measures regarding facilities and safety countermeasures." Despite his orders, patients complaining of heat-related illnesses and skin diseases continued to appear due to insufficient convenience facilities, and mold was found on eggs distributed at the event.

Moreover, a convenience store on the site faced backlash for selling some products at more than twice the market price, leading to a price reduction after the overcharging controversy.

As the situation worsened, on the 4th, President Yoon gave a phone directive: "Provide unlimited supply of refrigerated and frozen trucks capable of delivering large buses and cold bottled water, immediately improve the quality and quantity of meals supplied to students, and have all government ministries work with full force to promptly resolve on-site issues."

Following President Yoon's orders, the government held an emergency cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han and decided to allocate 6.9 billion won from contingency funds for material support.

On the 6th, American scouts and leaders who declared an early departure at the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree campsite are moving their luggage. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As scout delegations from the UK, the US, Singapore, and others began to leave early, President Yoon gave a phone directive the previous day to Prime Minister Han and Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, saying, "Inspect the situation at the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree camping site and urgently add tourism programs where visitors can experience Korea's industry, culture, history, and nature."

In addition to the Jamboree, President Yoon also issued urgent orders regarding the defective construction of Mu-ryang-pan apartments and the stabbing attack at Seohyeon Station. Regarding the defective construction, on the 2nd, he discussed the matter by phone with Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi and related senior secretaries, and the ruling party and government held an emergency high-level meeting to announce countermeasures.

Regarding the stabbing attack at Seohyeon Station and threatening posts about stabbing attacks on social media (SNS), on the 4th, he instructed Minister Lee, saying, "The random stabbing incident at Seohyeon Station is a terror attack on innocent citizens. Since threatening messages have also been posted on SNS, the government must respond by deploying security personnel for prevention and carrying effective and strong suppression equipment."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, police are controlling access at the scene of a random stabbing incident near Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, on the 2nd, President Yoon spent a night at the naval base in Jinhae, Gyeongnam Province, to encourage soldiers, and on the 4th, he visited Gohyeon General Market in Geoje, Gyeongnam Province, purchasing seafood and supporting merchants to stimulate consumption.

Unlike vacations where presidents usually rest and contemplate political affairs, he is spending his time handling social issues that have raised public concern. Therefore, it is observed that President Yoon, like previous presidents, is experiencing the so-called "vacation jinx."

Former President Lee Myung-bak postponed his vacation in 2011 due to a landslide on Umyeonsan Mountain caused by record-breaking heavy rain. Former President Park Geun-hye spent her vacations within the Blue House in 2014 due to the Sewol ferry disaster and in 2015 due to the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak. Former President Moon Jae-in canceled his vacation in 2019 due to Japan's removal of Korea from its semiconductor whitelist, Russia's airspace violation over Dokdo, and North Korea's missile provocations.

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