トラブル続きの世界スカウト大会、Ｋポップで収拾図るも批判噴出　韓国

【ソウルＡＦＰ＝時事】韓国ソウルで１１日、大規模なＫポップフェスティバルが開催され、ボーイスカウト・ガールスカウトの祭典「世界スカウトジャンボリー」に参加していた数万人のスカウトも一堂に会してイベントを楽しんだ。同国政府は、問題が多発した同大会のイメージを「韓国文化の力」で回復しようと試みている。（写真は韓国・全羅北道で行われた世界スカウトジャンボリーのキャンプ地）
　４年ごとに開催されるジャンボリーは先週、全羅北道で開幕。４万３０００人が参加していたが、前例のない猛暑で熱中症患者が続出した上、キャンプ地の環境も劣悪と報告され、米国と英国の派遣団が会場から撤収。さらに台風の接近を受け、全面撤収を余儀なくされていた。
　参加者は韓国各地に分散し、政府主催の文化行事に参加していたが、「ＮｅｗＪｅａｎｓ」や「Ｔｈｅ Ｂｏｙｚ」など主要アーティストが出演する「Ｋポップスーパーライブ」コンサートには全員が集まり、グランドフィナーレを飾った。
　参加者の多くはカラフルなレインコートを着て、出演者らと一緒に歌ったり、踊ったり、ペンライトを熱心に振り、Ｋポップスターをスマートフォンで撮影。カメラに自分たちの顔が捉えられ、大きなスクリーンに映し出されると歓喜していた。
　文化省によると、人気音楽グループ「ＢＴＳ（防弾少年団）」のフォトカードが、所属事務所のＨＹＢＥ（ハイブ）によって参加者全員に無料配布された。地元メディアによると、小売価格で総額８億ウォン（約８７００万円）分に上る。
　しかし、韓国のイメージダウンにつながったジャンボリーを立て直すために多額の緊急資金を投入するという政府のやり方には、Ｋポップファンや政府系機関の職員から批判が噴出している。
　人気音楽番組は理由を公表せずに突然中止となり、出演予定だったグループがジャンボリーでパフォーマンスを行った。
　また、ソン・イルジョン議員は、現在兵役に就いているＢＴＳのメンバーに休暇を与え、短期間だけ活動を再開させるべきだと発言し、Ｋポップファンから非難を浴びた。
　Ｋポップコラムニストのチェ・イサク氏はＸ（旧ツイッター）で、政府の方針は「国家がＫポップを所有するという全体主義的な恐ろしい考え」の表れだと指摘した。
　聯合ニュースによれば、韓国産業銀行や韓国電力公社など政府系機関の職員約１０００人がコンサートの手伝いに「動員」された。
　韓国金融業界の労働組合は、「『協力要請』という言葉が使われているが、戦時中の強制徴用も同然だ」と怒りをあらわにしている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/08/14-17:00）

Tens of thousands of scouts danced, sang and waved glow sticks at a massive K-pop festival in Seoul on Friday, as South Korea sought to salvage a problem-plagued jamboree with the power of Korean culture.
The quadrennial world jamboree gathered 43,000 scouts in North Jeolla province, but an unprecedented heatwave prompted mass illnesses, US and UK contingents left early amid reports of dire campsite conditions, and a tropical storm finally forced a full evacuation this week.
The scouts were dispersed across the country and sent on government-sponsored cultural tours, but the K-pop Superlive concert -- featuring major acts including NewJeans and The Boyz -- reunited all the jamboree participants for a grand finale.
Tens of thousands of scouts in colourful uniforms and neckties, some wearing face paint and waving flags, filled Seoul's World Cup Stadium Friday.
The last few days have not been easy, said Ahmad Alhendawi, secretary-general of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, at the official closing ceremony ahead of the concert, adding to loud cheers that they had finally reunited our jamboree.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told the scouts that he hoped the cultural experiences you had in various parts of Korea... will remain as beautiful memories for you.
K-pop groups including HolyBang, The Boyz, ATBO and The New Six -- the latter wearing scout-themed costumes -- then performed to rapturous applause from the mostly teenage scouts.
The scouts, many wearing colourful raincoats, could be seen singing along, dancing and enthusiastically waving glow sticks.
Some used their smartphones to capture the faces of the K-pop stars, with many celebrating wildly when the cameras zoomed in on their faces, projecting them on the big screen.
Traffic control in Sangam-dong, the district where the stadium is located in Seoul, began hours before the concert, resulting in serious congestion in the area. More than 1,000 buses carried scouts to the venue.
Seoul's culture ministry said all scouts were given photo cards of BTS as a gift, provided for free by the septet's agency, HYBE. The photo cards were said to have a total retail value of 800 million won ($600,000), according to local media.
- 'Totalitarian idea' -
But even as the government throws millions of dollars in emergency funding into fixing an event that has been a public relations disaster, criticism -- from K-pop fans to public sector employees -- is mounting over Seoul's approach.
A popular TV music program, set to feature some acts now performing at the jamboree, was abruptly cancelled for undisclosed reasons.
And lawmaker Sung Il-jong faced backlash from K-pop fans after saying the army should let megastars BTS -- on hiatus while two members serve their mandatory military terms -- reunite and perform.
K-pop columnist Isak Choi said on the social media platform X that the plan betrayed a terrible totalitarian idea that the state owns K-pop.
The Yonhap News Agency reported that around 1,000 employees at public institutions -- such as the Korea Development Bank and the Korea Electric Power Corporation -- had been mobilised to help out with the concert.
Although the words used are 'request for cooperation', it's almost at the level of forced conscription during wartime, the Korean Financial Industry Union said in an angry response.
The venue is also proving controversial, as its wildly expensive hybrid grass, ideal for sporting events, will be damaged by the concert stage.
Idol fans are shedding tears as their favourites are being pulled out at the last minute. Football fans are also shedding tears as the expensive grass in the stadium is getting destroyed, one disgruntled person wrote on X in Korean.
Who exactly benefits from this Jamboree concert?