Getting sports fans revved up before the actual 2018 Winter Games begin... is the Olympic
Torch Relay.
It's been making its way round Korea for the past few weeks since arriving from Greece.
Today we are going to see how each destination has prepared for its arrival... in tune with
the theme and each area's own regional characteristics.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
The Olympic flame - an enduring symbol of the Olympic Games.
And the flame corresponding to PyeongChang 2018 was ignited in Olympia, Greece on October
24th, and arrived in Korea on the first day of November.
Since then, a one-hundred-and-one day torch relay across 9 provinces and 8 major cities
of Korea has been taking place, ...and it will continue until February 9th,
the opening day of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Spreading the excitement and the festive Olympic spirit under the slogan "Let Everyone Shine",
7-thousand-and-500 torchbearers will cover a total distance of 2-thousand-and-18 kilometers,
representing the year of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
And the torch's journey has been highlighted by some unique methods of transportation.
PyeongChang's Olympic flame was taken aboard legendary Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin's Turtle
Ship in Hansando Island, Tongyeong, the very same vessel that successfully repelled an
invasion of Japanese ships in the 16th century.
The torch was then taken to Busan, Korea's main port city, and then to Yeosu, where the
torch was taken on a marine cable car, which connects Dolsan Island and the mainland.
(KOREAN) "In pursuit of PyeongChang 2018's success,
we turned the cable cars into flower carts with camellia flowers, the symbol of Yeosu."
Highlighting the regional characteristics of Korea, the torch was taken on some exotic
relays as well.
"Haenyeo" - Korea's renowned female divers of Jeju Island carried the torch in waters.
Haenyeos are widely known to make living by harvesting seafood such as abalone by hand
from the sea floor without using any breathing equipment.
The Olympic torch then reached the south-western coast of the peninsula on a rescue helicopter.
This was the longest leg of the torch relay so far, with the flight lasting for an hour.
Then, the flame illuminated the historic fortress of Naganeupseong in Suncheon.
(KOREAN) "Representing Suncheon athletes, I got the
honor to be a torchbearer.
Although I am in Suncheon, my heart will be with PyeongChang athletes.
I hope everyone from around the world enjoy the games in PyeongChang."
All destinations are important, but the PyeongChang organizing committee picked five key themes
for the torch relay - economy, environment, technology, culture, and peace.
The first theme, economy, took place in the Songdo International Business District along
the Incheon Bridge.
Hoping for global unity and advancement, one-hundred-and-one runners crossed Korea's longest suspension
bridge.
Next, the torch relay adopted the environment theme.
(Stand-up) "The highlight of the environment theme takes
place in Suncheon Bay National Garden.
In this exotic park that portrays sustainability, some 4-hundred support runners are performing
Ganggangsulae, a very Korean transitional dance in pursuit of preserving the environment."
Ganggangsulae was traditionally performed during the harvest season to wish for a productive
year.
Suncheon Bay National Garden - home to hundreds of different species of trees and flowers
- is the perfect place to represent the theme of environment.
(KOREAN) "The ICT theme of the torch relay is to take
place in Daejeon, Korea's technology hub.
Then, the cultural theme event is to take place at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square.
And finally in Paju, bordering North Korea, we will have events under the peace theme."
The Olympic flame is lighting up all corners of the nation, bringing the Olympic spirit
of PyeongChang 2018 every step of the way.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.