K-pop music concert at South Korean World Scout Jamboree postponed over heat safety concerns

Amid scorching temperatures, a K-pop concert scheduled for Sunday at the South Korean World Scout Jamboree was postponed due to heat safety concerns.

Despite extreme temperatures that prompted three national contingents to withdraw, the organisers of the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea decided to proceed with the event.

Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said the jamboree organisers “accepted the concerns over safety-related incidents” if the show was held on Sunday night.

The temperatures at the jamboree location have remained consistently above 33 degrees Celsius.

The World Scout Jamboree in South Korea came under pressure after facing calls to be cancelled on Saturday, as groups from the United States and Britain decided to depart a week ahead of schedule due to severe heat and adverse weather conditions.

The mercury has climbed to 34 degrees Celsius in Saemangeum, situated near the city of Buan on South Korea’s western coastline. This is where 39,000 participants, primarily scouts aged 14 to 18, have been camping since Friday.

The two-week-long outdoor event began on Tuesday as authorities issued the highest-level warning for extreme temperatures for the first time in four years.

At least 400 people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the gathering. Over 43,000 young scouts from 158 countries are participating in the World Scout Jamboree held on land reclaimed from the sea in the southwestern town of Buan.

During the opening ceremony on Wednesday, at least 108 people suffered from heat-related illnesses and exhaustion and were taken to the hospital, the authorities said. The ceremony was attended by president Yoon Suk Yeol along with chief scout, Bear Grylls.

The temperature there reached 35C on Wednesday.

By Thursday the number of people falling sick due to extreme temperatures had risen to at least 400. “Most of them were experiencing mild symptoms, such as headache, dizziness and nausea and all returned to their campsites,” a Jeonbuk Fire Service official said.

The British, American, and Singaporean contingents proceeded to depart from the Saemangeum and opted to relocate to alternative sites across the country, including hotels within the capital city of Seoul.

Meanwhile, during a media briefing, Mr Lee announced that two alternative locations are currently under consideration for the K-pop concert, which has been rescheduled to take place on the eve of the scouting meet’s closing, scheduled for 12 August.

Insufficient shaded areas, along with inadequate provisions for water supply, food services, and sanitation facilities, led civic groups, parents, and the World Organization of the Scout Movement to jointly suggest on Saturday that the event should be concluded ahead of schedule.

However, both the jamboree organisers and the South Korean government stated that after consulting with the participating scouting contingents, they had collectively decided to proceed with the jamboree as planned.

Jacob Murray, director of world events for the World Organization of the Scout Movement said there had been “increased improvement” in site conditions after additional resources were made available.

Additional reporting by agencies.