The 25th World Scout Jamboree, which was under fire for its hasty operation and disruption controversy, ended with a closing ceremony and a K-pop Super Live Concert on the 11th.
Although the event was 안전놀이터 barely closed after many twists and turns, the aftermath is not light in that it clearly revealed the chronic complacency and table administration in Korean society. And strangely, the backward behavior of “politics and administration” caused by “politics and administration,” which has become the use of “sports and popular culture” in the aftermath, leaves a more bitter aftertaste.
The government and the Jamboree Organizing Committee were originally scheduled to hold K-pop concerts and closing ceremonies around the campsite as much as birds, but decided to change the date and location due to safety problems such as heat waves. The alternative that the organizing committee chose as a desperate measure was the soccer field, which did not have enough space to hold the event with a large number of people due to the sudden change.
The organizing committee chose the adjacent Jeonju World Cup Stadium at the venue, but the venue was changed once more to Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul due to the influence of Typhoon “Kanun.” It was none other than the K-League and soccer fans who suffered the most from this unpredictable “bomb-spinning.”
Jeonbuk suffered confusion as the FA Cup semifinals against Incheon, which were scheduled at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 9th, were canceled. As a result, the final venue was changed to Seoul again, but the schedule that had already been misplaced was inevitable. Above all, it was against common sense that the government and local governments unilaterally notified the Jeonbuk club without prior consultation. “I can’t believe it,” said Dan Petrescu, Jeonbuk coach from Romania. I couldn’t hide my absurdity and anger enough to say, “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life.”
Sangam is also frequently played in A matches, and although it is a stadium representing Korean football, it has been criticized by national team players for poor grass management. This year, the Seoul Facilities Management Corporation invested a large budget of 1 billion won to refurbish the hybrid grass, but all its efforts were wasted overnight due to the sudden jamboree event.
The government explained that it was careful to set up the stage to minimize grass damage. It also promised to restore it as quickly as possible after the event so that it does not interfere with the soccer game. However, soccer fans responded coldly, saying, “It’s like giving medicine and sickness.” Many soccer fans are calling for the Jamboree crisis and the government’s “forced unilateral sacrifice under the guise of cooperation.”
K-pop and idol stars are considered backward in their appearance as “rescue pitchers” for virtually failed national events. The K-pop concert, which was urgently organized and promoted by the decision of the so-called “high believers” to determine the incompetence of the government and local governments, was not enough to say that it was fortunate that there was no accident.
While the stage was being set up for the K-pop concert, a typhoon was passing near the Korean Peninsula. Experts pointed out that large-scale performances of 30,000 to 40,000 people have a long preparation period, and sensitive outdoor performances need to be prepared for more variables. However, workers at the site at the time had to set up the stage at the risk of safety in the midst of a tight time and bad weather.
The artists who participated in the performance were also embarrassed by the sudden schedule. It was reported that there was not enough time to prepare for the high-quality stage, and the rehearsal situation was also poor as it rained until the day of the performance due to the typhoon.
In addition, the government and officials have caused controversy over the controversy over “forced mobilization” under the pretext of voluntary participation in the process of recruiting artists. Sung Il-jong, a member of the People’s Power Party, proposed to have BTS (BTS) who is serving in the military appear at the Jamboree concert, but was also opposed by fans’ criticism of why K-pop stars should handle the crippled Jamboree competition.
Fortunately, despite the chaotic atmosphere and poor conditions, K-pop artists such as New Jin’s, ITZY, THE BOYZ, and Ive showed their best performance in a bright manner. BTS, which was at the center of controversy, supported the agency by providing a set of photo cards for free, although it did not participate. The concert was able to be completed successfully without any major accidents amid the efforts of the artists and the enthusiastic response of the audience. This is a scene that once again proves the status of K-pop, which has been recognized for its competitiveness based on its long accumulated experience and know-how on the world stage.
However, the success of the concert was a separate issue from the Jamboree competition. Thanks to K-pop’s brand image and the dedication and sacrifice of workers-artists who have worked hard in the field, it has only achieved “the beauty of the end” in the worst situation, and it does not absolve all processes and mistakes in the Jamboree crisis.
Apart from the K-pop concert, it is difficult to reverse the evaluation that this Jamboree is a “failed event.” Even though the event was held after six years of preparation and huge budget for gathering people from all over the world, it was a series of chaos, including a series of underdeveloped and abnormal facilities, a lack of professionals from planning to practice, and a lack of responsible control towers. In the end, some participating countries retired early, and they could not avoid the humiliation of becoming a “global international disgrace” as it became a concentrated issue of foreign media due to poor preparation.
Even sadder was the complacent and frivolous perception of the political community in the process of dealing with the situation, which still seems to view sports and popular culture as subcontractors or consumables for political rearrangement.
In the process, the political community showed no common sense, communication, or respect for sports and popular culture, which were forced to make unilateral sacrifices. As long as there is a perception in the political world that they can take away soccer stadiums and hold concerts and mobilize BTS and artists at any time like control events, it should not be forgotten that such a pathetic situation can be repeated at any time.
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