Olympic flame lights up Seoul

Jon · Korean Citizen Joined: Mar 19, 2004 Posts: 510

The Olympic torch made its stop in Seoul yesterday with 120 Koreans taking part in the relay for this summer's Athens Games across the capital.
The Olympic torch was brought from Tokyo on a special flight to Incheon International Airport early in the morning for the third-leg of its six-week global journey through 34 cities in 27 countries.

It was taken to Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul to begin a 48-kilometer trek at 12:30.

With Lee Yun-taek, president of the Korean Olympic Committee, being the first runner, the 120 torchbearers including athletes, public figures and people from all walks of life carried the flame throughout the capital to its final destination at City Hall Plaza.

Lee Yun-taek (left), president of the Korean Olympic Committee, lights the torch of Chang Choog-sik, former president of the Korea National Red Cross, at the Olympic flame relay in front of Olympic Park in Seoul yesterday. [The Korea Herald]
The torch was placed there for an overnight stay, preceded by a ceremony attended by a large gathering of citizens and officials from the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee and the KOC. Lee Bong-ju, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics marathon silver medal winner, was the last to carry the torch.

Other runners included three Olympic gold medallists - marathoner Hwang Young-cho, female archer Kim Su-nyeong and wrestler Shim Gwon-ho. Also given the honor were Korean soccer legend Cha Bum-kun, basketball player Seo Jang-hoon, pop singer Lee Hyo-ri and dance group NRG.

Two physically challenged persons - Kim Haeng-gyun, a 42-year-old man who had his left leg amputated, and Kim Ye-jin, a 25-year-old blind college student - also took part.

The flame leaves today for Beijing, the venue for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games.

The global torch relay, the first event of its kind in modern Olympic history, covers more than 78,000 kilometers in five continents over 35 days.

Titled "Pass the Flame, Unite the World," the international relay began in Sydney on Friday.

(sooyeon@heraldm.com)

By Kim Soo-yeon