South Korea begins evacuating thousands of Scouts from coastal campsite as tropical storm nears

KIM TONG-HYUNG

Buses began moving tens of thousands of Scouts to inland venues ahead of a tropical storm Tuesday, bringing an effective end to a World Scout Jamboree that had already struggled with heat, hygiene and land use controversies.

Known for its insatiable desire to host international events, the South Korean government scrambled to keep the 12-day gathering of Scouts from around the world going as thousands of British and American Scouts departed over the weekend because of an extreme heat wave that caused some attendees to be hospitalized.

It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that officials announced the decision to abandon the coastal campsite in the southwestern town of Buan, after forecasters raised alarms that Tropical Storm Khanun was heading toward the Korean Peninsula.

Critics have argued the decision to host the Jamboree at a site known as Saemangeum was part of an effort to justify further investment in a