Despite Jamboree Controversy, Buan County Council Plans to Depart for "Cruise Training"

All 10 Buan County Council Members Plan Singapore-Malaysia Cruise Trip Worth 40 Million Won
Jeonbuk Province Cancels Dokdo Tour Amid Controversy

Despite controversy over 'extravagant overseas trips,' local council members from Jeonbuk Province and Buan County, the hosts of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, are scheduled to undertake training trips to Dokdo and overseas within this month, drawing increasing criticism.

According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Council on the 9th, 18 council members had planned a 2-night, 3-day study tour to Ulleungdo and Dokdo starting on the 14th, but canceled it amid the controversy. They originally planned to reaffirm their patriotic spirit on Dokdo during Liberation Day and hold a performance opposing the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan.

An empty view of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree site in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do on the 8th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

There are 39 members in total in the Jeonbuk Provincial Council, and more than half, 18 members, applied for the study tour. The cost per person was between 400,000 and 500,000 KRW. Council member A, who led the tour, told Yonhap News, "Since the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council said they could not go to Dokdo this Liberation Day, we thought our Jeonbuk Provincial Council should go to show that Dokdo is not Japan's Takeshima." He added, "Originally, 22 people applied, but 4 dropped out."

Despite pressing public issues such as flood recovery and suspicions of extravagant trips by related agencies during the Jamboree preparations, they planned another external schedule. Council member A explained, "There is absolutely no intention to go on a leisure trip," and said, "If public opinion is like this, we will cancel the schedule entirely."

The Buan County Council has confirmed an overseas 'cruise training' trip this month. According to the council, all 10 Buan County council members will depart on a 3-night, 4-day cruise business trip to Singapore and Malaysia from the 30th of this month to the 2nd of next month. The trip will cost about 40 million KRW in public funds, covering airfare, accommodation, and cruise travel expenses.

In Saemangeum, where the Jamboree was held, construction of the Saemangeum New Port, which could accommodate large cruise ships by 2025, is underway. The council stated, "This training is to analyze the conditions of the cruise port and its economic ripple effects," and added, "The training report will be used as policy material."

After this information became public, the Buan County Council’s website was flooded with criticism such as "Still not getting it even after ruining the Jamboree," "Reckless overseas trips," and "Tax thieves." One netizen sharply commented, "Even private companies are trying hard to manage the Jamboree crisis, but they have no sense?"

'Effectively a Cruise Vacation' Extravagant Overseas Trip Controversy

On the 8th, demolition work is underway at the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree site in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Buan County has previously faced allegations of taking two cruise trips under the pretext of "promoting the Jamboree host site through establishing a cruise hub port." In October 2019, 13 county officials went on a cruise fam tour in Shanghai, China, lasting up to 6 nights and 7 days, and in December 2019, five officials visited Taipei 101 Observatory and Keelung Cruise Terminal in Taiwan.

In July 2019, eight people including five county council members and three council office staff went on a 9-night, 11-day business trip to the United States. The stated purpose was "to directly observe the US Jamboree and learn operational cases." The trip cost was 32.94 million KRW.

However, the period spent in Charleston, where the Jamboree was held, was only two days, and the remaining time was spent visiting tourist spots such as the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Chelsea Market, and Times Square in New York and Washington DC.

In addition, there were a total of 101 overseas trips by public officials related to the Saemangeum Jamboree, most of which have been criticized as 'extravagant trips' focused on sightseeing. Jeonbuk Province accounted for the largest number with 57 trips (56.4%), followed by Buan County with 25 trips (24.8%), Saemangeum Development Agency with 12 trips (11.9%), Ministry of Gender Equality and Family with 5 trips (5%), and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs with 2 trips (2.0%).

Meanwhile, the government decided on the 7th to evacuate all Jamboree participants early in preparation for Typhoon Khanun. The ruling party is reportedly planning to investigate the preparation and operation process of the Saemangeum Jamboree through special audits by the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Responsibility has also been raised against Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, the department in charge, over the poor management of the Jamboree.

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