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| President Yoon Suk Yeol waves his hand during the opening ceremony of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 2. Yonhap |
President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Tuesday to provide full assistance to participants of the 25th World Scout Jamboree until the event's conclusion, his office said.
Yoon made the remark while being briefed by his aides on the relocation of thousands of young Scouts and adult volunteers from the jamboree venue in Saemangeum to cities across the country ahead of Typhoon Khanun's expected landfall Thursday morning.
"The entire government, including the emergency response team, should do its best to provide support until the end of the jamboree event," he said, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
"The 45,000 Scouts who have come here from some 150 nations will all talk about what kind of country the Republic of Korea is when they return home," Yoon said, asking all Koreans to think of themselves as honorary ambassadors for the country when meeting the Scouts.
Yoon returned to his office the same day, the last day of his summer vacation, to oversee the relocation of the jamboree participants and ensure readiness against Typhoon Khanun, officials said.
He is scheduled to preside over an emergency meeting later in the day with his aides, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the chiefs of 17 ministries and local government chiefs to discuss the overall response to the typhoon and related safety measures, according to Lee.
Meanwhile, jamboree participants from 156 countries were being moved to new accommodations in eight cities and provinces, including Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the organizing committee said.
Yoon has overseen the response to jamboree-related issues since a scorching heat wave led to concerns about participants' health and prompted some contingents to leave the campground early.
Yoon instructed the prime minister the previous day to set up an emergency jamboree response team to thoroughly execute the government's "contingency plan" involving relocating Scouts' lodgings and remaining programs to Seoul and the surrounding capital area.
The quadrennial global event is set to close Saturday. (Yonhap)
