The South Asia Times

SEOUL - Thousands of volunteers from 158 National Scout Organizations to leave  South Korea ahead of Typhoon Khanun as the East Asian nation faces sever heatwave. 

In a statement, the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has confirmed that they received confirmation this morning from the South Korean government that due to the expected impact of Typhoon Khanun, an early departure will be planned for all participants at the 25th World Scout Jamboree from the campsite in SaeManGeum. 

“The Government informed WOSM that they will soon provide details of the departure plans and the venues that will host the participants. We urgently call on the Government to expedite the plan for departure and provide all necessary resources and support for participants during their stay and until they return to their home countries,” it said in the statement.

Last week, over 43,000 Scouts and International Service Team volunteers from 158 National Scout Organizations arrived in South Korea to take part in the 25th World Scout Jamboree, one of the world’s largest outdoor events for young people, and the first global gathering of Scouting since the pandemic.

The event kicked off in Saemangeum on Aug. 1 and was scheduled to continue through Saturday.

A day earlier the WOSM said the participants facing the impacts of the severe heatwave, however, the government mobilized significant resources to improve the campsite’s facilities and services to help the participants manage the impact of the severe heatwave affecting the country.

According to South Korean media the scouts expected to leave the country on Tuesday as the Typhoon Khanun likely to make landfall on the nation's southeastern coast Thursday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds across the Korean Peninsula.

The state weather agency said the typhoon may bring winds with a maximum speed of up to 44 mps that are strong enough to derail a running train, Yonhap News Agency reported.