Irish scouts leave Jamboree site ahead of tropical storm landfall

Irish scouts have left the World Scout Jamboree site in Buan ahead of the tropical storm Khanun, the organisation confirmed on Tuesday.

South Korea’s weather agency reported that the storm Khanun was about 205 miles (330km) northeast of the Japanese island of Okinawa as of 9am local time on Monday. It was expected to make landfall in South Korea on Thursday morning, packing high winds.

Large swathes of the country’s south, including Buan, could be affected by the storm as early as Wednesday, the agency said.

The Irish contingent of the scouts were among the first to leave the site and are relocating to Woosuk University in Jeonju which is out of the path of the coming tropical storm.

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The Irish scouts have begun arriving at the university where they will be in staying dormitory accommodation, the organisation said.

“Over half of the 40,000 scouts attending the jamboree have now been transported from the site. 26 members of the Irish group including the Contingent Management Team and 18 adult volunteers working at the Jamboree will remain until the last scouts have been moved off site,” the statement said.

It is expected that this group will leave in the coming hours for Woosuk University and will arrive well in advance of the impending storm.

“The entire Jamboree is expected to reconvene on the 11th of August in a closed/roofed stadium for a K-pop concert and closing ceremony, which will be attended by the Irish contingent,” the statement said.

About 40,000 scouts – mostly teenagers – from 158 countries came to the jamboree. About 4,500 were from the UK, representing the largest national contingent, while about 1,000 were from the United States.

The event has been beset with difficulties as a prior heatwave impacted events. Scouting Ireland previously said five members of the Irish contingent – three adults and two teenagers – were treated for the heat, none required long-term, overnight or off-site treatment.