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Scouts, including hundreds of Canadians, to evacuate Korea jamboree ahead of storm

Aug 7, 2023 | 10:50 AM

South Korean officials say they will evacuate tens of thousands of scouts, including hundreds of Canadians, from an international scouting jamboree along the country’s western coast before the expected arrival of a typhoon. 

Kim Sung-ho, a vice minister at South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety, says more than 36,000 scouts from 158 countries will begin leaving Tuesday morning, with most heading to venues in the capital city, Seoul, and the nearby metropolitan area.

Scouts Canada says 235 Canadian youth and 143 volunteers are attending the event.

Spokeswoman Anissa Stambouli says the weather at the jamboree site remains normal and jamboree activities will continue in the Seoul area.

More than 4,000 British scouts and hundreds of scouts from the United States began leaving the campsite on Saturday due to extreme heat. 

Scouts Canada says six Canadian youth and four volunteers suffered from heat stress, but no members of the Canadian contingent have been hospitalized for heat-related illness. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2023. 

— With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press