Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

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12. Torch Relay
10
9
12.2.3
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Selection of Torchbearers
In order to relay the flame safely from
Cheju-do to the cauldron at the Olympic
Stadium in Seoul, and to offer
opportunities for participation in the
torch relay to as many people as possible,
the SLOOC selected torchbearers
from all across the country.
The SLOOC, prior to the selection,
classified the runners into torchbearers,
assistant torchbearers, and
escorts. The SLOOC decided to select
the runners from among the residents
of the cities, counties, and districts
through which the torch relay was to
pass.
The SLOOC also decided to include
Koreans living abroad as well as
foreigners to promote global attention
and participation.
The SLOOC authorized the city and
county governments to select local
citizens to run in the torch relay but
decided to select foreigners and overseas
Koreans itself.
The SLOOC, which decided to present
uniforms and souvenirs to all those
chosen as members of the torch relay
team, launched a massive publicity
campaign to encourage nationwide
attention and participation.
Qualifications to be a member of the
torch relay team generally covered
Korean nationals aged 20 or older for
torchbearers and associate torchbearers.
Escorts also had to be Korean
nationals aged 15 or older. Special
runners were excluded from these
qualifications however.
Qualification to be a Torch Relay bearer
Torchbearers and associate bearers
• First priority: those who had lived in the
cities, counties, and districts where they
wished to run, for five years or longer and
recommended by heads of the district
offices.
• Second priority: those who were
employees of firms and organizations
with 100 or more employees located in
the cities, counties and districts where
they wanted to run.
Third priority: citizens of the cities, counties,
and districts on the torch relay route.
Escorts
• First priority: group application as a team
by employees of firms and organizations
which employed 10 or more people or by
students of schools located in the cities,
counties, and districts on the torch relay
route.
• Second priority: group application by
those who had lived in the cities, counties,
and districts for three years or
longer.
• Third priority: individual application by
citizens of the cities, counties, and
districts on the torch relay route.
• Fourth priority: all those who did not meet
the above three categories.
With these criteria set up for selection
of the torchbearers, the SLOOC made
a public announcement in January
1988, for recruitment of the torchbearers.
From February 1 through 29,
the SLOOC received applications from
a total of 37,011 people, including 3,796
women.
For 20 days beginning on March 1, the
SLOOC screened the applications
based on the priorities it had set. The
second round of the screening was
physical tests conducted from March
21 through 31 to establish whether the
applicants could run a distance of one
kilometer within five minutes.
A total of 20,151 candidates passed the
two rounds of screening to be selected
as torchbearers, associate torchbearers,
and escorts.
Special runners chosen by city and
provincial governments were community
dignitaries, athletes, entertainers,
handicapped people, children, elderly
people, and religious leaders numbering
491 in total.
The 247 special runners selected
directly by the SLOOC included 90
delegates of National Olympic Committees,
30 members of the foreign
press, 108 overseas Koreans, 12
participants in the Seoul Olympics
Youth Camp, four first and last torchbearers,
and three others.
In total, the number of selected
runners stood at 20,889 which broke
down to 1,467 torchbearers (695
special runners), 2,782 assistant torchbearers,
and 16,640 escorts.
12.2.4
Equipment and Logistics
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Torches
Korea Explosive Co., Ltd., which
began developing torches in April
1984, introduced creative and excellent
torches in the 1986 Seoul Asian
Games which was a dress rehearsal
for the Olympic Games to come two
years later.
The SLOOC decided to use the torches
made by Korea Explosive for the Olympic
torch relay again following some
adjustments.
The SLOOC had three industrial
design specialists produce at least two
torch designs each. The three submitted
13 works in total to the SLOOC in
July 1987.
In August the same year, the SLOOC
formed a committee comprising six
experts to screen the works. After
three rounds of voting, the committee
chose "Brazier" submitted by Prof.
Lee Woo-song of Sookmyung Women's
University as the final design for the
torch. The committee also selected
two others as candidate designs.
The design of the torch, engraved with
two dragons symbolizing the harmony
of East and West, featured a total
length of 55 centimeters, with a 10
centimeter diameter bowl. The torch
weighed 1 kilogram and could burn for
up to 10 minutes. The height of the
flame was 35 to 40 centimeters with a
diameter of 6 centimeters and a brightness
of 700cp. The torch, constructed
of brass and plastic, had a wind
resistance of 72 kilometers per hour.
The torch, once lit, would not go out
even in sand or water.
A total of 3,300 torches were manufactured
— 500 for use in Greece, 2,600
for the relay in Korea, and 200 for use
in the Paralympics.
Local branches of Korea Explosive
delivered the torches to be used in
domestic relay. The torches were
loaded on designated vehicles one
day before the run and distributed to
runners 30 minutes before the run.
Mobile cauldrons
Mobile cauldrons to lay the flame in
state overnight during the torch relay
were designed by Prof. Boo Soo-in of
Seoul National University and manufactured
by Rinnai Korea Co., Ltd.
The design of the mobile cauldrons,
Supported with eight pillars inspired
by ancient octagonal pavilions, called
for a total height of 165 centimeters
with diameter ranging from 90 to 119
centimeters. The height of the flame
was 70 centimeters with a diameter of
36 centimeters.
Constructed of steel plate and wood,
the cauldrons used propane gas as
fuel and could burn round the clock
with a strong resistance to wind and
rain. The cauldrons were designed to
control the size of the flame depending
on the weather conditions.
The cauldron designed to be fixed on
ships could keep the flame burning
when the ships sailed at a speed of up
to 30 knots an hour.
The cauldron stands were designed
for ease of assembly and to sustain
the weight of the cauldron plus two
people.
A total of nine such mobile cauldrons
were manufactured — four for overnight
stays, one for celebrating events
to welcome the arrival of the flame at
Cheju-do, one each for special events
at Pusan's Yongdusan Park and at
Seoul's City Hall Plaza, and two for
ships to carry the flame. Auxiliary
equipment included two sets of cauldron
stand, 25 sets of gas supply
system used at overnight stopovers,
two maintenance vehicles, and two
trucks.
A total of 40 tons of propane gas was
consumed during the torch relay.
Safety lamps
Safety lamps to preserve the flame
were held in reserve in case of failure
to keep the flame burning in the torch
relay.
The SLOOC placed the manufacturing
orders to Fujika-Daewon Electric Co.,
Ltd. which completed the production in
April 1986.
The safety lamp design followed that
of an ancient Korean astronomical
observatory, Chomsongdae, to a scale
of one-fortieth of the actual size. They
were made of threefold steel plate and
special aluminium to resist wind and
pressure, particularly to maintain the
surface temperature below 50-fb-C for
safety during air flight.
The 35-centimeter-tall lamps with a
diameter of 15 centimeters could burn
up to 140 hours using kerosene fuel.