The Embassy of Belgium in Seoul extended their heartfelt pleasure and thanked all the volunteers for contributing their significant efforts to improve the living conditions of Belgium scouts on the campsite on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
As per the Update, after a difficult start and extreme weather conditions, the Korean authorities, in collaboration with the World Organisation of Scout Movement (WOSM) and the diplomatic corps, stepped in to improve the living conditions on the campsite significantly.
1232 Belgians are participating in the 25th World Scout Jamboree.
As per the Embassy of Belgium in Seoul, Since the beginning of the Jamboree, the Embassy has been in close contact with the Belgian contingent, the WOSM and the Korean authorities to ensure that the Belgian scouts are being taken good care of.
The Embassy of Belgium extended their pleasure and thanked all the volunteers for doing an incredible job – in challenging conditions – to contribute to the success of this unique experience. “Big up to our scouts who have shown resilience throughout their journey,” they added.
Ambassador François Bontemps paid them a visit to the camp last Monday and was impressed by their high spirit and good mood. The governor of Imsil province – closely related to Belgium, thanked the work of the late Father Didier t’Serstevens – distributed cheese, fruits, and various milk products.
Born Belgian in 1931, Didier t’Serstevens, the “ Belgian father,” died in Korea in 2019 with the name Ji Jeonghwan. Of the 88 years of his life, he spent 60 years in Korea.
When things were finally up and running, an approaching typhoon led to the decision to evacuate the Jamboree premises. All the scouts have been relocated to the Seoul metropolitan area. The Belgian contingent has been assigned to Incheon and will continue to experience the spirit of the Jamboree from there.
The Embassy of Belgium expressed gratitude to the authorities of Incheon and their close partners in Songdo – including the flagship institution, Gent University Global Campus – who facilitated this complex relocation process.
“We wish them a very nice end to stay in Korea!” they added.
