The World Organization of the Scout Movement said in a statement on Friday it had asked the Korean Scout Association to consider "alternative options to end the event earlier than scheduled and support the participants until they depart for their home countries".
Organisers would meet on Saturday to discuss whether to continue, cancel or scale back the event, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
Hit by extreme heat, hundreds of participants at the event fell ill and were treated for heat-related ailments, prompting complaints from parents over the safety of their children.
Reports in local media have suggested the event's issues go beyond the heat, citing poor campsite conditions, with sanitation "less than ideal" including rudimentary showers and toilets, and saying scouts had been plagued by insect bites.
A Korean-American parent, whose 15-year-old daughter lost consciousness while participating in the event, claimed an ambulance was called but it did not arrive at the site until 45 minutes later.
"We were told she lost consciousness and (her eyes rolled back), revealing the whites," she told South Korean broadcaster SBS.
"Those 45 minutes were terrifying for us. We can't even imagine what might have happened during that time. How can South Korea allow children to be neglected like this?"
The event is also facing additional challenges besides the heat. Jeolla authorities on Saturday said about 70 people on the site have come down with COVID-19.
Local media outlets have described the situation as a "national disgrace", given the time the country had to prepare for the event.
Critics had earlier warned of the risks of gathering such a large number of youth in a treeless region with little shelter from the summer heat.
Some people online have compared the situation to the deadly survival game featured in South Korea's mega-hit Netflix series Squid Game.
More than 150 countries were taking part in the gathering as of Friday, according to officials.
The jamboree is scheduled to run until Aug 12.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9zb3V0aC1rb3JlYS13b3JsZC1zY291dC1qYW1ib3JlZS1oZWF0d2F2ZS1zaW5nYXBvcmUtMzY3OTMzNtIBAA?oc=5
2023-08-05 04:25:25Z
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