9 Canadians among hundreds ill at Scout event as heatwave hits South Korea

Part of the Canadian contingent exploring South Korea before the 25th World Scout Jamboree on Aug. 2023 (Submitted by Scouts Canada)

Nine Canadians are among the hundreds of attendees who fell ill at the 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea this week as the country experiences an extended heat wave.

The event, which started on Aug. 1, has more than 40,000 participants aged 14 to 17 from more than 170 countries, including a Canadian contingent of 235 youth and 143 volunteers.

During the opening ceremony, 108 people were sent to hospital due to heat-related illnesses, officials said on Thursday. Since then, more than 400 people have complained of heat-related symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and exhaustion, according to a local report.

Scouts Canada told CTVNews.ca in an email a total of five adult volunteers and four youth from the Canadian team experienced heat stress and received medical assessment. By Friday morning, they had returned to their campsites.

The 10-day educational event is being held on a flat landscape in Saemangeum, Jeollabuk-do, about 257 kilometres southwest of Seoul, where participants are camping in tents with little natural shade or access to cooling facilities.

During the first days of the event, the temperature hovered around 35 C or higher and local authorities are saying it is one of the hottest summers in the country in years.

Jeff Schaffhauser, executive director of Scouting Operations Canada, said the Jamboree’s organizers and the World Organization of the Scout Movement are putting additional measures in place to combat heat-related issues at the event, including fixing infrastructure problems and strengthening medical services on site.

“We are hopeful that these necessary changes will keep our youth not only safe, but able to return to the fun adventures and gatherings that this international event has to offer,” read Schaffhauser’s statement sent to CTVNews.ca on Friday.

Scouts Canada said parents of all youth attendees have been informed of the situation.

On Friday, U.K.'s Scout Association announced it would transfer young people and adult volunteers from the Jamboree site to hotels in Seoul.

“As we are the largest contingent, our hope is that this helps alleviate the pressure on the site overall,” read the online statement.

On Saturday morning, as thousands of British scouts had begun leaving the campsite, the world scouting body urged South Korea to cut the jamboree short and "support the participants until they depart for their home countries."

Scouts Canada said it does not plan to leave the event as Canadian members are on a different campsite area, and are “therefore not facing the same issues as U.K. Scouts,” read the Friday statement.

While there’s no plan to retrieve members from the event, Scouts Canada says it hopes the new solutions are enough so youth can continue to benefit from the activities.

Jean-Pierre Godbout, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said they are also monitoring the situation.

“Consular officials stand ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens,” Godbout said in an email to CTVNews.ca on Thursday night.

Godbout also recommended any Canadians in need of urgent consular assistance during the heatwave to either contact the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea in Seoul or Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre.

As the heat continues, Koreans and parents from around the world are expressing concerns online, many asking for the children to return home.

The event runs until Aug. 12.

With files from the Associate Press.