Government Evacuates 30,000 Jamboree Participants to Seoul Metropolitan Area Due to Typhoon... "1,000 Buses Mobilized"

Afternoon Nationwide Governors' Meeting Held to Request Cooperation
Securing Accommodations in the Capital Region Amid 'Mass Movement of 156 Countries'
New Schedules Proceeding Across Regions After Suspension of Saemangeum Plans

As Typhoon 'Khanun' is forecasted to move northward, the government announced that it will suspend the World Scout Jamboree currently underway in Saemangeum, Jeonbuk, and evacuate all 36,000 participants to the Seoul metropolitan area. The government plans to continue the event at various locations in the metropolitan area and is preparing emergency accommodations for the participants.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family and co-chair of the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, held a briefing at the Jamboree Press Center in Saemangeum, Jeonbuk, on the afternoon of the 7th. She said, "At this morning's World Scout Federation meeting, there was an opinion that, following the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecast of Typhoon Khanun passing over the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to move the Jamboree event from the Saemangeum site to a safer location." She added, "The Republic of Korea government is also reviewing an emergency natural disaster response plan for the World Jamboree to ensure safety."

Kim Seong-ho, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Evacuation will begin sequentially from 10 a.m. tomorrow (the 8th)." He added, "The number of evacuees is approximately 36,000 from 156 countries." He also said, "More than 1,000 buses will be mobilized," and "Buses will be assigned by country, and interpreters will be deployed to facilitate communication." The Ministry of the Interior and Safety expects the evacuation to take about six hours.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

To prepare emergency accommodations, the government plans to secure administrative offices and private educational facilities in the metropolitan area. Director Kim explained, "With the cooperation of local governments nationwide, we plan to secure as many administrative and private educational facilities as possible, focusing on the metropolitan area, which is not directly affected by the typhoon, to provide comfortable and safe accommodations for the participants." To this end, the government will hold a nationwide meeting of city and provincial governors chaired by the Prime Minister at 6 p.m. today to request cooperation from local governments.

Regarding accommodations, Director Kim said, "We are currently working on confirming accommodations in the metropolitan area." When asked about the specific status of securing accommodations, he replied, "I cannot provide exact details at this time," adding, "We are in consultation with city and provincial governors."

The government plans to discuss and bear the costs of the evacuation with local governments. Director Kim stated, "We intend to proceed with cost issues in consultation with local governments," and "The government will take full responsibility for covering the costs."

With the emergency evacuation underway, the events currently taking place in Saemangeum, Jeonbuk, are expected to be completely suspended. Regarding future programs, Minister Kim said, "After the evacuation starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow, we plan to develop new programs in cooperation with local governments," and added, "Detailed information is being managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

The K-POP concert scheduled for the 11th, which was originally planned to be held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, is now being considered for alternative venues such as Sangam World Cup Stadium due to the change of location.

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