Conditions for Volunteers

[Anchor Lead]

Dozens of Olympic security guards who fell ill have tested positive for norovirus. The outbreak has been a cause of concern for the safety of the games and the wellbeing of Olympic volunteers and other officials working through the cold.

[Pkg]

This is a residence of security guards infected with noro-virus en masse. The broken washbasin is thick with dirt. Litter is gathered in a shower room drain. The foul-smelling restroom was last checked four years ago.

[Soundbite] (Olympic Security Guard (Voice modified)) : "It was this way when I arrived. Cleaning is not done appropriately and water doesn't flush well."

With waning pride, some Olympic workers quit and left.

[Soundbite] (Fmr. Olympic Security Guard (Voice modified)) : "My parents supported me since it was to serve the nation. But there was no improvement."

Olympic volunteers were given residences to which they commute by bus for more than an hour. On top of that, the shuttle buses operate at irregular times.

[Soundbite] Seo Joo-yeon(Olympic Volunteer) : "Sometimes, I'd wait for 30 minutes in the cold to ride the bus. The current bus schedule doesn't match what we received."

The Olympic organizing committee presented detailed measures to improve the treatment of Olympic workers after petitions were posted on the website of the presidential office.

[Soundbite] Seong Baek-yoo(Spokesperson for the PyeongChang Olympic Committee) : "There were difficulties, such as bus delays. We will monitor these problems and improve the conditions of residences."

More than 80,000 people, including volunteers, are being mobilized for the PyeongChang Olympic Games. The treatment of Olympic workers has become an urgent issue with the opening of the Games just around the corner.