Jamboree Scattered Nationwide by Typhoon, Will the Concert on the 11th Be Unaffected?

Evacuation Completed Due to 'Kanun' Approaching
Typhoon Warnings Forecast for Chungcheong and Others on the 10th
Safety Concerns for Concert on the 11th if Rain Occurs

The '2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree' relocated its venues to eight cities and provinces nationwide, including the Seoul metropolitan area, due to the northward approach of Typhoon Khanun. However, with forecasts predicting the typhoon will strike the metropolitan area around the 10th to 11th, the newly designated locations have also come under its influence. In particular, concerns have been raised about whether the 'K-POP Concert' scheduled for the 11th can be held safely.

According to the Jamboree Organizing Committee on the 9th, by 9:25 PM on the 8th, approximately 37,000 scouts participating in the World Jamboree had completed their move to evacuation sites. Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, explained in a briefing the previous day, "We will continue to operate the Jamboree programs for the remaining four nights and five days so that participants can continue to gain experience from the Jamboree."

However, the alternative locations chosen for the Jamboree?including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon in the metropolitan area, as well as Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, and South Chungcheong provinces?are not free from the typhoon's influence. Typhoon Khanun is expected to reach the southern coast on the morning of the 10th and then traverse the country northward. Although the organizing committee selected accommodations in areas on the western side of the Korean Peninsula to avoid the direct impact of the typhoon, typhoon warnings will be issued on the 10th for the Chungcheong region, northern Gyeongbuk, the metropolitan area, and Gangwon Province. Around 9 AM on the 11th, the typhoon is expected to pass approximately 70 km northeast of Pyongyang, North Korea. Notably, this typhoon has shifted westward compared to initial forecasts, expanding the inland 'danger semicircle' (the right semicircle of the typhoon), and its slow movement increases the likelihood of changes in its path.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korea Meteorological Administration expects heavy rainfall of up to 600 mm from the 9th to the 11th. Therefore, more than half of the remaining period until the event concludes on the 12th is expected to experience rain, wind, and other adverse weather conditions following the venue relocation on the 8th. Due to this, it seems unlikely that alternative programs held outdoors will be feasible in the rain. Detailed programs for each region have not yet been disclosed.

The issue is that the 'K-POP Concert' is scheduled for the closing ceremony on the 11th. Originally planned to be held around the Saemangeum camping site on the 6th, the concert was postponed once to the Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 11th due to heatwave conditions. Subsequently, due to the typhoon and emergency evacuation, a change to the Seoul Sangam World Cup Stadium is being seriously considered.

However, rain and other adverse weather are expected even on the 11th, immediately after the typhoon passes through the metropolitan area, making it difficult to hold the concert. The Sangam World Cup Stadium is also an outdoor stadium with the upper sections exposed to the elements. Additionally, transporting attendees from the dispersed alternative locations nationwide to the stadium in Seoul poses challenges. If heavy rain occurs, moving a large crowd of up to 40,000 people could raise safety concerns.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Efforts are underway to urgently secure performers for the revised schedule, making changes or cancellations difficult. According to the performance industry on that day, girl groups NewJeans and ITZY have been confirmed to perform.

Moon Hyun-chul, a professor in the Department of Disaster Safety Management at Soongsil University Graduate School, said, "Dispersing participants amid a heatwave followed by a major typhoon is a prudent measure," but added, "The typhoon is currently predicted to move slowly, and the sea surface temperatures of the South Sea and East Sea are high, so heavy rainfall is expected." He continued, "If the concert is held at Sangam on the 11th, preparations for heavy rain are necessary," and added, "It would be better to conduct other events primarily indoors."

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