South Korea's audit agency to launch inspection of jamboree mismanagement

13 Aug 2023 04:29pm

TOPSHOT - Scouts prepare to leave the campsite of the World Scout Jamboree in Buan, North Jeolla province on August 8, 2023. Organisers of the World Scout Jamboree asked host South Korea on Aug 7 to "urgently" evacuate tens of thousands of children from their campsite ahead of a typhoon, just days after a heatwave caused mass scout illnesses. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP)

SEOUL - South Korea's state audit agency could launch an inspection of what went wrong and who was responsible for the poor organisation of the 2023 World Scout Jamboree as early as this week.

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has begun preparations to inspect the organising committee, the North Jeolla Province government, and the gender equality and interior ministries following the event's conclusion on Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported according to the officials.

The jamboree, which ran from Aug 1-12, opened at a campsite in Saemangeum -- a reclaimed wetland on the southwestern coast, but faced severe criticism for lacking the facilities to host some 40,000 participants from around the world during a scorching heat wave earlier this month.

The participants were later relocated to various cities nationwide to escape a powerful approaching typhoon.

Officials said the BAI will announce the inspection launch as soon as the number of inspectors is finalised.

It is expected to cover everything from how Saemangeum was chosen to host the event, how the necessary infrastructure was built, the operations of the organising committee and details of where the massive 100 billion won (US$75 million) budget for the jamboree was spent. - BERNAMA-ANADOLU