South Korea probe blames sweeping lapses for World Scout Jamboree debacle
SEOUL (Reuters) - The failure of the World Scout Jamboree hosted by South Korea in 2023 that ended in chaos was the result of a "complete lapse" in all aspects including the incompetence of the organisers and the site selection, a government probe issued on Thursday concluded.
Dire conditions including overflowing trash bins, dirty toilets, questionable food quality and a bug-infested site with little shade from the sun led some national contingents to pull out early from an event that the opposition party called "a national disgrace of epic scale."
The government's Audit Board in a report found a "complete lapse in all aspects of management including lack of competency and awareness of the organisers exacerbated by poor execution of work led to the failure of the Saemangeum Jamboree."
Saemangeum refers to the area of reclaimed land on the country's west coast where more than 40,000 scouts aged 14-18 camped for the event scheduled over 12 days in August 2023.
The event, which was attended by representatives from 155 countries, saw hundreds fall ill amid a heat wave, prompting complaints from parents over the safety of their children.
The organisers closed down the site early ahead of an approaching typhoon, with thousands of teenage scouts taken by buses to accommodation in and around Seoul to view a hastily arranged K-pop concert.
The 542-page report said the organising committee was headed by a retired public servant at the Ministry of Gender who lacked expertise and staffed mostly by personnel without experience working on large international events.
The Ministry of Gender, which was supervising the organisers, failed in its role to oversee preparations and made a false report to the cabinet ahead of the opening that the event was ready, it said.
Facilities including toilets and showers, power and communication equipment and trash disposal were insufficient and inadequate, and the organisers failed to follow up on questions about preparations, it said.
The Ministry of Gender said it accepted the results of the probe and pledged to take any remedial action needed.
The organising committee, which the ministry said was in the process of dissolution, could not be reached for comment.
The Audit Board referred four individuals for criminal investigation and 12 officials for disciplinary action.
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