[1-Minute cut] [Nationwide Inside|Jeonbuk (3)] [Field Report] “We feel sorry for the kids”… Two Years After the Jamboree Disaster, Has Jeonbuk Changed?

[Cheonji Ilbo Jeonbuk=Reporter Kim Dong-hyun] Two years after the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree collapsed under heatwaves and typhoons, the now-empty campsite and a sign reading “25th World Scout Jamboree Campsite” are all that remain to indicate where the event took place.

Local residents who remember the scene at the time said, “The ground was so soft you couldn’t enter without boots,” “The event date was approaching, but preparations were seriously lacking,” and “We feel sorry for the foreign children who suffered so much.” Jeonbuk was ill-prepared to welcome youth from around the world, and poor facilities and hygiene issues sparked criticism that the disaster was “foreseeable.”

The World Organization of the Scout Movement, in its post-event report, pointed to failures in overall management and response. Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection also uncovered 40 cases of illegality or impropriety through its audit.

Jeonbuk Province is now bidding to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. While the shadow of the Jamboree failure still lingers, university students voiced both hopes and concerns: “More effort is needed since the province is taking on this challenge,” “We should study the failure and use it as a foundation for growth,” and “There must be venues to openly discuss the realistic aspects of the bid.”

A new slogan or banner does not instantly prove regional competence. The real test of whether Jeonbuk deserves to invite the world again starts now.