GWANGJU – The Gwangju Universiade Organising Committee carried out a torch lighting ceremony in Gwangju at Mount Mudeung National Park on the early morning of 2 June.
Officials including GUOC President Yoon Jang-hyun, the Gwangju City Council Chairman Cho Young-pyo and GUOC Secretary General Kim Yoon-suk attended the lighting ceremony.
The ceremony kicked off as the seven fairies performed a celebration at Jangbuljae in which the torch was lit with the rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror. Two torches, lit from Paris and Gwangju, came together to mark a new beginning as the domestic torch relay begins on 4 June.
The nationwide torch relay will be carried out under the ‘EPIC’ theme (Ecology, Peace, IT and Culture) initiative.
The Universiade Torch will travel to Korea’s southernmost island of Jeju on 3 June, and then will hop on its nationwide journey from 4 June.
The torch will pass through 17 cities and 66 venues (57 local governments, 9 universities) for 22 days. Over 3,000 torch bearers will participate along the event.
The torch will also go through the nation’s cultural attractions as Sungsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Park) in Jeju, the Metasequoia Road in Juknokwon (Bamboo Gardent) in Damyang, Andong Hahoe Folk Village and Jeonju Hanok Village. Special cultural events are scheduled to be held at each location.
(Source: GUOC 2015)