Manuals created in preparation for crises such as typhoons were useless. Officials went on a business trip abroad and wrote a report saying, “I’m concerned about the heat wave,” but nothing has changed.
When the participants of the ‘2023 World Scout Jamboree’메이저놀이터 held in Saemangeum, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, withdrew on the 8th, it was pointed out that “they did not prepare for disaster situations for six years after hosting the competition.”
‘Crisis Response Manual’ finalized in JuneAccording to the Power of the People Jeong Woo-taek (Vice Chairman of the National Assembly) on the 8th, the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree Organizing Committee created a crisis response manual in June, about a month before the event was held. It includes measures for each type of disaster, such as typhoons and heatwaves. Crisis warnings were divided into three levels: caution, alert, and serious. When the typhoon crisis alert is raised to the ‘severe’ level, participants move to a pre-designated evacuation site. Choi Chang-haeng, Secretary General of the Jamboree Organizing Committee, explained in a briefing on the 1st, “If a typhoon comes, we will quickly evacuate to 342 prepared public institutions.”
However, when Typhoon ‘Kanun’ was predicted to land on the Korean Peninsula, the government hurriedly set up a ‘contingency plan’ (emergency replacement plan) to move accommodations to the metropolitan area instead of a crisis response manual. This is because most of the designated evacuation sites are elementary and middle school auditoriums and multi-purpose halls, so it is difficult to operate as a “shelter”. It is said that there was a lack of convenience facilities such as beds, cafeterias, and showers. It was not enough to secure accommodations and toilets, but a simple calculation of the number of people per 2.6 square meters was all. For this reason, the Jamboree has been prepared for 6 years by pouring more than 110 billion won, but criticism comes out that the crisis response manual is poor.
Kim Hyun-suk “Saemangeum withdrawal followed the manual”In this regard, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook said at a typhoon emergency evacuation press briefing held at the Saemangeum Jamboree Press Center in Buan, Jeollabuk-do that day, “(In the response manual), the relief center is a temporary detention center on the premise of returning to the territory.” Since it is a nationwide disaster situation, we have to withdraw (to the metropolitan area, etc.) according to the manual.”
However, contrary to the explanation that the manual was followed, the government found lodgings and lodging facilities for 36,000 people from 156 countries only after President Yoon Seok-yeol reviewed the “contingency plan” with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo and Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min on the morning of the previous day (7th). set out to secure the program.
What did you go on a business trip abroad?In the midst of this, it was found that some of the business trip reports made by public officials from the Jamboree organization on an overseas business trip contained key suggestions for holding the event properly.
Officials from a government agency said they were concerned about the heat wave after visiting the ’24th Jamboree’ held in the United States in 2019. In the report on the business trip, he wrote, “US Jamboree participants said, ‘The Jamboree held in reclaimed land in Japan four years ago was more difficult because there was no shade,’ and they were very concerned that Saemangeum was in a similar situation.” As an alternative, installation of shade and planting of trees and grass were suggested.
Employees of other government agencies greatly increased toilet facilities through outsourcing and ordered sanitary management measures. But it was just a report. The Saemangeum Jamboree, held in an empty field, earned worldwide disgrace for its unsanitary toilets.
Regarding this, Representative Jung Woo-taek’s office said, “We also need to check the reason why these business trip reports were not reflected in reality.”