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Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said the jamboree
organizers "accepted the concerns over safety-related incidents"
if the show was held on Sunday night. Temperatures at the
jamboree site have hovered above 33 Celsius (91.4F).
Hundreds of participants have fallen ill due to the searing
heat, prompting complaints from parents over the safety of their
children. On Saturday, 132 additional people were treated for
heat-related conditions, the jamboree organizers said.
South Korean government and jamboree officials said again the
safety of the more than 40,000 participants from 155 countries
was their top priority, with more water trucks, air-conditioned
spaces, medics and sanitation workers being sent to the site.
But British, American and Singapore contingents continued to
leave the jamboree on the Saemangeum reclaimed land project on
the west coast on Sunday, moving to other locations in the
country, including hotels in capital city Seoul.
Lee told a media briefing that two alternate sites are being
reviewed for the K-pop concert, which is now rescheduled for the
eve of the closing of the scouting meet on Aug. 12.
The lack of shaded areas and inadequate water supply, food
service and sanitation facilities prompted civic groups, parents
and the World Organization of the Scout Movement to recommend on
Saturday that the event be wrapped up early.
But the jamboree host and the government of South Korea said
they had consulted with participating scouting contingents and
decided the jamboree should continue.
Jacob Murray, director of world events for the World
Organization of the Scout Movement, said at the media briefing
there had been "increased improvement" in site conditions after
additional resources were made available.
(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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