Boy Scouts that fled the heat-stricken world jamboree set up camp at the Boy Scouts of America, Asia West District Headquarters, at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, shown here Aug. 7, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Hundreds of Boy Scouts arrived at this Army base over the weekend, driven from the World Scout Jamboree nearby by an extreme heat wave, according to the Boy Scouts of America.
The Scouts organization announced Friday that its contingent would leave the jamboree site at Saemangeum, near Busan, and move to Camp Humphreys, roughly 85 miles away, until departing for the United States on Aug. 11, the organization said in an email to parents and staff that day.
The decision to leave early was due to the “ongoing extreme weather and resulting conditions at the jamboree site,” according to the email.
Over 600 people were shuttled from the jamboree to Humphreys on Sunday, Eighth Army spokeswoman Maj. Mayra Nañez told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. The command did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment Monday.
Roughly 4,500 people from the British contingent and 60 people from the Singaporean contingent were relocated to hotels in Seoul, according to a Sunday report from South Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily.
“While we regret the need for the early departure, the move ensures the safety of our Scouts and alleviates pressure on the jamboree site services and infrastructure,” the Scouts email said.
The 25th World Scout Jamboree – 40,000 Scouts ages 14 to 17 from 150 countries -- kicked off in South Korea on Aug. 1, according to the organization’s website.
South Korean government agencies and companies provided aid to the campsite following reports of Scouts falling ill from the 90 degrees F heat.
Around 240 air-conditioned buses were dispatched to the site by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; the Ministry of National Defense erected 64 canopies; 700 government personnel were sent to clean bathrooms and other buildings; and numerous companies donated drinks, portable fans and repair equipment for facilities, according to a World Scout Jamboree news release Saturday.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday directed the government to “make every effort” to provide aid for the jamboree participants during the heat wave, according to a written briefing from the presidential office that day.
Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-seon in a news release Saturday said his city will work with jamboree organizers to hold community events for the Scouts and to “make a good impression on our country.”
“We will support you to finish this journey,” Jung said.
