Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

378
12. Torch Relay
26
12.4
Domestic Torch Relay
12.4.1
Events to Celebrate the Arrival of
Flame
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Organization of preparation
committee for welcoming events
The SLOOC decided to stage largescale
events to greet the arrival of the
torch at Cheju Airport with the aim of
emphasizing the determination to
bring success to the Seoul Olympics
Games and to widely publicize Chejudo
as a tourist attraction to the world.
Before establishing a basic plan on the
scope and range of the welcoming
events, the SLOOC set the following
guidelines: 1) Using the symbolism of
the sacred flame as theme, an event
should be designed to bring traditional
Korean culture and folk culture of
Cheju-do into a new perspective,
2) The event should be launched as a
national function; the Halla Cultural
Festival and the festival planned to
commemorate the opening of a new
Arts Hall should be linked with the
welcoming event for the arrival of the
torch to heighten the festive mood,
3) A production team should be
organized among related experts to
extend advice and suggestions concerning
the standards, production and
conduct of the event, 4) Members of
foreign diplomatic corps, dignitaries
representing all walks of life, and
Cheju-do celebrities should be invited
to attend the event, and local and
foreign journalists should be solicited
to cover the event to boost public relations
effect and the festive mood for
the Games, 5) The event should be
under the responsibility of the Chejudo
provincial government with the
cooperation of the Cheju-do Education
Committee and other related
agencies.
In December 1986, a field survey was
made of the major sites where the
events were to take place, including
Cheju Airport, Cheju city sports complex,
Chungmun tourist complex, and
Hammel Monument. The field survey
was followed up with the writing of a
scenario, organization of performing
groups and selection of their leaders,
and rehearsals. On August 19,1988, a
rehearsal was held to put the finishing
touches to the preparations. The program
highlighted pre-arrival events,
post — arrival events, and postceremony
events. Under the main
theme "Over the Waves of the Pacific,"
the post-ceremony event consisted of
four parts — part 1 (Myth of the Origin
of Tamra), part 2 (A History Riddled
with Hardship), part 3 (Setting the
Darkness Ablaze), and part 4 (The
Image of Future toward the World)
4 (The Image of Future toward the
World)
Involved in the events were 2,978
performers from 11 high schools, three
primary schools, and various related
organizations. The Cheju-do Education
Committee, with the assistance of
the SLOOC and related agencies,
organized the production teams and
secured and managed the performers.
Those who were picked for the events
underwent five stages of training for
a successful staging of the events.
Conduct of events and banquet
Related organizations and all inhabitants
of Cheju-do, the first arrival point
of the torch relay in Korea, pooled their
energy to welcome the arrival of the
sacred flame. The festival to greet the
arrival of the torch took on an added
significance, being timed as it was to
coincide with the island's annual key
folk play, "Halla Cultural Festival."
On August 26, the eve of the arrival of
the torch, "Halla Mountain Rite" was
held at Kwandok-jong in Cheju city to
pray for the safe arrival of the torch
and for the lasting prosperity of the
island's inhabitants; the rite drew a
crowd of some 5,000 to animate the
festival eve mood.
On the morning of August 27 when the
torch was scheduled to arrive, Cheju
Airport was shrouded with drizzling
rain. At 9:40 a.m. a performing troupe
staged a 30-minute-long "Parade to
Greet Flame" at the New Cheju Plaza
about 1.5 kilometers from the International
Airport. Leading the parade was
Olympic mascot, Hodori, followed by a
band of drum and fife, bearers of flags
of participating countries, and a traditional
folk play troupe. The long line
seemed to bring the warm welcome of
the Cheju people to the airport.
A large group of some 200 masked
dancers mingled with a farmers' music
band, followed by a line of homegrown
ponies.
At 10:30 a.m. just before the arrival of
the torch, a big drum was beaten to
start the Yongdung Shaman play, a rite
to bring forth an empathy with a god to
greet the torch. The solemn rite was
followed by a group of women divers,
singing songs as they enacted their
daily routine, and a farmers group clad
in traditional costume chorusing
farmers' songs.
At 11 a.m. sharp, the plane carrying
the torch touched down at the airport,
and Seoul Mayor Kim Yong-nae stepped
down holding the flame lamp and
leading the torch delegation.
Mayor Kim lit the torch using the
flame, and handed the torch to Cheju
Governor Lee Goon-bo. Governor Lee,
raising the torch high, slowly headed
toward a mobile cauldron, followed by
young girls playing "Cheju angels,"and
34 members of the Seoul City Dance
Company.
As the flame was carried to the mobile
cauldron, doves soared high in the sky
and fireworks were lit.
At 11:16 a.m. Mayor Kim delivered a
brief speech on the arrival of the torch,
followed by a welcoming message
from Governor Lee and congratulatory
address by SLOOC President Park
Seh-jik.
The post-arrival ceremony started at
11:24 a.m., featuring a series of performances
by some
1,000 students and arts performing
troupes. All those involved in the event
were brought together to form the
shape of the Korean peninsula.
At the height of the post-ceremony
event, the big drum sent off a roaring
sound, and then 81-year-old calligrapher,
Hyon Chung-hwa, passed
the torch to the first runners, Kim
Sang-min, a sixth-grader of Sin Cheju
Primary School, and fifth-grade girl
student Lee Jae-hui. Kim and Lee,
holding the torch together, jogged out
of the scene, passing through the
giant human map of the Korean peninsula,
to start the first leg of the torch
relay inside Korea.
Welcoming address
I join all the inhabitants of our Cheju
province to greet the arrival of the
torch of the 24th Seoul Olympic Games
dedicated to the harmony and progress
of the five billion human race. It is a
great honor that our Cheju-do is being
spotlighted as the image of the Republic
of Korea marching vigorously on
the path toward prosperity for the first
time since "The Land of Morning Calm"
was first introduced to the world by
Handrick Hammel who drifted ashore
on this island some 300 years ago.
With the love and hospitality with
which we warmly accepted the strange
drifters some 300 years ago, we now
greet the arrival of the torch and
guests from the world with an earnest
prayer that the Seoul Olympic Games
will become a genuine festival to usher
in the lasting prosperity and harmony
for all the family on this earth. I pray
that the sacred flame burning at this
island of myth and fantasy will forever
remain a symbol of hope and peace of
the world, binding together the west
and east.
Thank you.
Lee Goon-bo, Governor of Cheju
Province
In a move to make the welcome event
to commemorate the arrival of the
torch a national celebration, the
SLOOC sent out invitations to the
members of the SLOOC, members of
foreign diplomatic corps, members of
the National Assembly Culture and
Information Committee, journalists and
local dignitaries. Among the separate
invitees were 1,500 citizens.
Erection of memorial structures
and planting of trees
The SLOOC decided to erect a sculpture
and plant trees to commemorate
the arrival of the torch in the island,
and to serve as a tourist attraction.
The proposed sculpture was to be situated
in an area which would form a
harmony among the sculpture, the
island's volcanic rock and the blue
sea.