The campsite of the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea's Jeolla province on 5 August. Organisers decided to evacuate the camp because of an incoming storm. Photo: AFP
Dozens of New Zealanders are leaving the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea after a heatwave left hundreds of people with heat stroke.
More than 40,000 scouts from over 150 countries have been at the jamboree in the country's southwestern Jeolla province.
On Monday, Jamboree organisers decided to evacuate the whole site because a typhoon was on the way.
Scouts Aotearoa chief executive Chris Wilson said his organisation made the call early due to challenges with managing the heatwave.
The New Zealand contingent of 67 scouts and 25 adults were leaving the site on Tuesday for Tongin, about an hour from the capital Seoul.
Wilson said the rest of their tour of South Korea would continue.
Gavin Jolly said his daughter Saoirse, who is at the jamboree, called him last night and said she had been enjoying the event.
"She was quite happy, she was walking off to the Irish contingent to have dinner with them last night on the eve of leaving the main campsite."
Saoirse was disappointed to be leaving early but had had a ball and absolutely loved it, Jolly said.
"She didn't seem too worried about the heat, the New Zealand contingent seems to have planned really well for it and she was really happy with all the ice they were handing out and just keeping themselves wet to let the evaporation cool them down."
Jolly said he had heard they had brought in some more toilets and cleaners and improved the food.
But he had not heard of any complaints via the communication channels that were set up before the group left, he said.
It had been a good experience for his daughter, he said.
"She's got people she can visit now in the Netherlands, in Ireland, in Peru and Brazil, Sweden. She's made friends with a whole lot of people from all over the world."
Scouts fill up containers of water at the jamboree campsite in Jeolla province. Photo: AFP
Several countries including the UK had already left, blaming high temperatures and poor sanitary conditions at the camp, the BBC reported.
UK Scouts chief executive Matt Hyde said he felt let down by organisers and UK activities had been set back years.
The site had become a health risk, he told the BBC.
The British group of 4500 people, the largest in attendance, arrived at the campsite in Saemangeum near the town of Buan last week.
They were moved to hotels in Seoul over the weekend, where they will remain until the jamboree finishes on 12 August.
British scouts arrive at a hotel in Seoul on 5 August 2023 after leaving the World Scout Jamboree. Photo: AFP / Yonhap
The US and Singapore had also already pulled their teams from the campsite.
Severe tropical storm Khanun, which has already forced evacuations and cut off power to thousands in Japan, was forecast to reach South Korea's southern Jeolla province on Thursday, the BBC reported.
Originally classified as a typhoon, the weather system had weakened but was still bringing high winds and torrential rain to the region.
- Additional reporting from the BBC
