The event, involving 43,000 14-18-year-olds from 159 countries, opened on August 1 but was abandoned early amid concerns for participants' safety. Dozens were hospitalised with heat exhaustion in the first few days, sanitation proved inadequate, and foreign delegations withdrew thousands of participants and put them in emergency accommodation. On August 7 the site was evacuated.
The jamboree debacle may stall some investment in the multi-billion-dollar land-reclamation project at Saemangeum, the site of the event.
The BAI’s neutrality is already eroded in a toxically partisan political environment; the chances of a truly impartial inquiry appear slim.
If the government can pin the blame on the opposition-led local administration, this could influence the parliamentary elections in April.
