The scout camp in South Korea, which brought together tens of thousands of scouts from different countries, including around 1,500 Swedes, is now ending earlier than planned.
The reason is a typhoon warning.
The scout camp, which was organized by the World Scout Organization WOSM and gathered over 40,000 scouts from 158 countries for the international jamboree in South Korea, is now canceled immediately. The reason is a warning about typhoon Khanun, which is feared to hit large parts of the country later this week. The South Korean government issued the warning to the World Scout Organization on Monday morning, AFP learns.
Thousands left the camp
Hundreds of participants at the scout camp have suffered from heat stroke in recent days and have been forced to seek medical care. Deficiencies have existed in hygiene and stomach ailments have also occurred. Over 4,000 British Scouts have already returned to the capital Seoul to relieve the camp site at Saemangeum. Around 1,500 Americans have in turn been moved to the US army base Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtak.
Swedes stayed
The approximately 1,500 Swedish youth who are at the camp with their leader have so far stayed, although some of them have had to take a break from the camp, according to what Fredrik Larsson, scout leader on site, previously told TT.
The South Korean government has pushed to the equivalent of SEK 56 million to save the event, which was supposed to last until August 12, but which is now coming to an end.
South Korea has issued a forecast for the worst heat in four years, 35-38 degrees, for the next few days.
There is no information yet on where the participants will live before returning home.