"Say Kimchi~" English Daewon Students from Saemangeum Laugh During Seoul Night View Tour

At the ‘2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree,’ British scouts who left the event early showed smiles as they enjoyed sightseeing in Seoul.

According to Seoul City on the 7th, the city and the British Scout organization operated a night city tour bus program for the British scouts the previous day. Out of 200 applicants, 155 scouts expressed their intention to participate.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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The city tour buses carrying them were arranged with the cooperation of Tiger City Tour, consisting of two double-decker buses and two single-decker buses, totaling four buses. The sightseeing buses departed around 9:20 p.m. from in front of the Koreana Hotel in Gwanghwamun and visited Seoul’s representative tourist spots such as Yeouido, Banpo Bridge, N Seoul Tower, and Cheonggye Plaza.

That day, the tropical night continued in Seoul, and the scouts initially complained about the heat, fanning themselves, but as the buses moved and cool breezes blew, the atmosphere brightened. The scouts held up their smartphones, shouting “Jamboree” and “Say Kimchi,” busily taking commemorative photos.

When the Han River came into view near Mapo Bridge, the scouts could not take their eyes off the night scenery. Some scouts reportedly hummed the theme song (OST) of the movie 'Rocky,' “The Eye of the Tiger,” as they enjoyed the moment.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Scouts briefly got off near N Seoul Tower, took group photos with the tower as a backdrop, and energetically chatted while overlooking Seoul’s nightscape. The buses touring Seoul returned to Gwanghwamun Square after about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

There was a brief commotion that day as well. One of the four buses was involved in a minor collision at 10:03 p.m. on Olympic-daero, hitting a passenger car ahead. However, according to Seoul City, the tour was safely completed without any injuries.

Kester Sharp, a staff member of the British Scout Association’s regional coordination team, said, “I am happy to be in Seoul. I look forward to everything Seoul City provides us.” However, regarding the Saemangeum Jamboree, he said, “I will not comment.”

He added, “It is amazing to experience different cultures from those in the UK, such as visiting temples and palaces and experiencing street food culture. Although I am not used to such hot weather, I am enjoying my time.”

Seoul City said it will continue to consult with the British Scout Association to organize additional cultural tourism programs so that jamboree participants visiting Seoul can fully enjoy the city.

British Scout members who left early from the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree arrived at a hotel in Yongsan, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 6th and are heading to their accommodations. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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Meanwhile, 4,500 British scouts who left the jamboree early and suddenly withdrew to the metropolitan area expressed their uncomfortable memories of Saemangeum to local media.

A British mother, Ms. A, who sent her 16-year-old son to Korea, told The Guardian on the 5th (local time) about the jamboree event, “My son said it was a ‘mess,’” and added, “The Scout motto is ‘Be Prepared,’ but the Korean government was not.”

Ms. A said, “I understand that the heatwave is not the government’s fault, but there should have been measures against the heat,” and criticized, “It seems they only prepared for heavy rain, not heatwaves.”

Another mother, Ms. B, said, “What was supposed to be a wonderful life experience for my 16-year-old daughter turned into a ‘survival mission.’” She appealed, “We knew it would be hot, but not to this extent. The tents were so hot that we couldn’t cool down.”

There were also concerns about the lack of space for them to stay in Seoul. Currently, hotels do not have enough beds to accommodate the large group of 4,500 scouts, and it is still unknown whether other accommodations can be arranged.

The BBC pointed out, “Some scouts are staying five to a room, and up to 250 are sleeping in hotel banquet halls in Seoul due to a shortage of lodging facilities.”

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