Over 37,000 Jamboree scouts relocate to new accommodations

Scouts boarding buses leaving the campsite at Saemangeum in Buan County, North Jeolla, on Tuesdsay. [YONHAP]

Participants of the World Scout Jamboree began leaving the event's Saemangeum campsite at 9 a.m. Monday, for accommodations across the country, including Seoul and Gyeonggi.

The government said 1,014 buses transported more than 37,000 scouts from 156 countries to their designated accommodations. The scouts from Taiwan were the first to leave the campsite.

Four helicopters and 273 police cars escorted the buses.

The scouts will be sent to 128 accommodations in eight regions.

Most of the places where the scouts will be staying are college dormitories, while others are training centers, including those owned by the government as well as private and public institutions. Additionally, there are some religious centers.

The Korean government will be covering the costs of the accommodations.

In Seoul, 3,133 scouts from 17 countries will stay in eight accommodations. In Gyeonggi, 13,568 scouts from 88 countries will be staying in 64 accommodations for the remainder of their stay in Korea.

There will be 3,257 participants from eight countries staying in Incheon, 1,355 from two counties at six locations in Daejeon, 716 from two countries at two accommodations in Sejong, 2,710 from three countries at seven accommodations in North Chungcheong, 6,274 from 18 countries in South Chungcheong and 5,541 from 10 countries in North Jeolla.

"The police will patrol the areas where the scouts are staying for safety purposes, while the food and drug agency will monitor the quality of the food provided to the Jamboree participants," Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said in a press briefing Tuesday.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]