BRITISH children, including a number from Wirral, attending the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea have been moved to hotels after young people were treated for heat-related illnesses amid one of the country’s hottest summers.
Temperatures have soared to 35C at the campsite near the south-western town of Buan this week, where more than 40,000 scouts from around the world have gathered.
Earlier this week, a number of Wirral Scouts posted pictures of themselves enjoying their trip to South Korea.
The UK Scout Association, which is the largest contingent there, said young people and adult volunteers will be moved to hotel accommodation in the country’s capital Seoul over the next two days to help “alleviate the pressure” on the site.
It said in a statement: “We know that may be a disappointment for some and we will continue the Jamboree experience in Seoul, working with Korean authorities on a programme of activities so our young people still get the most from their time in Korea.
“Young people will travel home as originally planned from August 13.
“While we have been on site at the Jamboree, the UK volunteer team has worked extremely hard with the organisers, for our youth members and adult volunteers to have enough food and water to sustain them, shelter from the unusually hot weather, and toilets and washing facilities appropriate for an event of this scale.”
Thousands of British teenagers aged 14 to 17 travelled to South Korea for the 12-day event, which is hosted by a different nation every four years.
At least 108 people have been treated for heat-related illnesses, most of whom have recovered, it was reported on Thursday.
The committee, which plans to proceed with the event while adding dozens more medical staff to prepare for further emergencies, did not confirm the ages and other personal details of those who were affected.
Wednesday night’s opening ceremony of the Jamboree brought more than 40,000 scouts, mostly teenagers, to a campsite built on land reclaimed from the sea in the south-western town of Buan.
The temperature there reached 35C on Wednesday.
During an emergency meeting, South Korea’s minister of the interior and safety Lee Sang-min instructed officials to explore “all possible measures” to protect the participants, including adjusting the event’s outdoor activities, adding more emergency vehicles and medical posts, and adding more shade structures and air-conditioning.
He said the goal is to prevent “even one serious illness or death”, according to comments shared by the ministry.
There had been concerns about holding the Jamboree in a vast, treeless area lacking refuge from the heat.
Mr Choi insisted that the event was safe enough to continue and similar situations could have occurred if the Jamboree was held elsewhere.
“The participants came from afar and hadn’t yet adjusted (to the weather),” he said at a news briefing.
Mr Choi said the large number of patients could be linked to a K-pop performance during the opening ceremony, which he said left many of the teenagers “exhausted after actively releasing their energy”.
South Korea this week raised its hot weather warning to the highest “serious” level for the first time in four years as temperatures nationwide hovered between 33C and 38C.
The Safety Ministry said at least 16 people have died because of heat-related illnesses since May 20, including two on Tuesday.
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