Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

380
12. Torch Relay
31. The torch is passed; relay runners had
to appear at transfer points 30 minutes
ahead of the scheduled pass, and the
transfer of the flame took about one
minute at each point.
32. The 350 kilometer seaborne leg of the
relay between Cheju Island and Pusan
was carried out aboard the ferry Olympia
'88; 470 passengers went along for the
ride, including the SLOOC president,
invitees, media personnel and torch
runners.
12.4.2
Cheju — Seoul Torch Relay
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Outline
The torch relay covered a single
course connecting major cities from
east to west on 1,595 sections at a total
length of 4,167.8 kilometers. A total of
1,467 runners, 2,782 associate runners,
and 16,640 escorts ran over the
course of 22 days to bring the flame to
the cauldron in the Olympic Stadium.
The torch relay included 1,414.4 kilometers
covered by runners, 2,188 kilometers
by vehicles, 492.6 kilometers
by ships, 60.4 kilometers by bicycles,
5.4 kilometers by motorcycles and
7 kilometers by horseback relay.
The torch relay formation was divided
into regular formation and temporary
formation; the temporary formation
was again divided into "A" and "B"
formations. The torch relay team
involved an advance checking team
and the main torch relay team. Riding
in nine vehicles, including mobile
flame bowl distribution vehicle,
advance maintenance vehicle, torch
distribution vehicle, and temporary
torch bowl vehicles, the advance team
comprised of 30 personnel led the way
escorted by sidecars about 30 minutes
in advance of the main torch relay
runners.
The basic formation of the main relay
team escorted by three police sidecars
was in the following order; a torch
relay command car, escort sidecar,
runner, transportation command car,
Greek observer car, armed mobile car,
security team, documentary film crew
car, official photography car, medical
services car, amenities car, communications
car, liaison car, maintenance
car, and rear-end escort car. The
formation comprised 22 vehicles, and
was manned by 102 persons.
The relay sections for the temporary
formation "A" were Chinju —
Chungmu Ferryboat Station (71km),
intra-city course in Samchonpo (4km),
and Tongil Park — Chukryoung Wharf,
Inje County (106.8km); 18 vehicles
were involved in the sections, together
with 73 persons.
The temporary torch relay "B" formation
included Yosu Ferry Station —
Sunchon City Hall section (45.4km),
Soyang Dam Ferry Station — Chunchon
City Hall section (16.1km);
involved in these sections were
17 vehicles and 89 persons.
Torch relay between a city and
provinces, and between a city and gun
(county) was carried out under the
responsibility of the administrative
personnel in charge of the relevant district.
The torch relay operation directors,
nominated in each city and
province, joined the formation to
supervise the relay, riding in a torch
relay operation car.
The torch was transferred from a city
to a province, with city mayor and
provincial governor facing each other
on the administrative border. At those
points where the torch could not be
passed from one runner to another
because the border was located in
mountain or sea, the director of the
torch relay operation relayed the torch
from the responsible administrator in
one district to the responsible administrator
in the other district. This method
applied to the administrative border
between city and county.
At the times the torch was to change
hands the next runner had to arrive at
the transfer point 30 minutes in
advance of the scheduled time; when
the torch arrived, the transfer was
done in one minute.
At the word of command from the next
runner, the runners facing each other
raised their torches, and then lowered
them to the level where the torch tips
met, while associate runner and
escorts relayed torches and handcarried
flags.
When the torch was to be handed from
car to a runner, the director of the
torch relay operation received the
torch after crossing the administrative
border and passed it to the runner. In
cities and counties, operation personnel
aboard a car passed the torch right
away to the runner.
When the torch was to be passed from
runner to ship, the director of the torch
relay operation took over the torch and
lit the mobile cauldron on the deck.
When the torch was to be passed from
ship to a runner, the director of the
torch relay operation lit the torch from
the mobile cauldron on the deck and
passed it to the runner. Horseback
relay and bicycle relay followed the
transfer procedure of one runner to
another.
At places where the torch was to stay
overnight, top administrative personnel
in the relevant district, residents and
students held a ceremony to welcome
the torch and carried it to a mobile
flame bowl. The torch was sent off in a
similar ceremony.
Torch relay by daily schedule
The torch, which embarked on the first
leg of the domestic relay in the hands
of a primary school boy and girl at
11:50 a.m. on August 27, 1988, was
carried round Cheju-do in a clockwise
direction. Thirty-four Korean residents
grouped into two teams, representing
Japan-based overseas Korean residents,
took part in the torch relay in
Cheju city. Also, 17 girl students in
diver's outfit participated in the torch
relay.
Completing the 104.3km relay course
in Cheju-do, the torch arrived at
Sinsan Park at 8:30 p.m., where
Cheju's provincial governor carried the
flame to a cauldron for an overnight
stay.
At 9 a.m. August 28, the torch, carried
on horseback ahead of 24 escort
ponies and bands, arrived at the third
pier of Cheju Harbor, and the flame
was ignited in the cauldron aboard the
Olympia '88 ferry.
Aboard the Olympia '88 were 470
persons including the SLOOC president,
invitees, journalists and operation
personnel; cruising the 350km
sea course in nine hours, the ferry
reached Pusan port. En route to the
Pusan port, Samulnori players and
entertainers staged performances
aboard the boat while Air Force jets
staged an air show.
As the ferryboat was entering the port,
fire-fighting vessels shot water high up
in a gesture of welcome while motorboats
staged a sea parade and helicopters
and Air Force jets flew by. On
the pier colorful folk plays unique to
the Pusan region added to the festive
mood.
On the Pusan — Chinju relay course
on August 29, no sooner had the torch
entered Masan city than children clad
in Korean Marine Boy Scout uniform
followed the torch relay formation, and
Korean folk ssirum wrestlers clad in
their unique outfit, including champion
Yi Man-gi, carried the torch.
The Chinju — Sunchon relay section
on August 30 involved a sea route midway
from Chungmu to Yosu, forcing
relay vehicles to organize two separate
formations, A and B, and to start the
relay separately. The torch which
arrived at Chungmu Harbor was carried
to a ferryboat named the Angel,
and reached Samchonpo port via Hanryo
Waterway. Runners carried the
torch round Samchonpo city before
crossing Noryang Strait to reach Yosu
port. The torch circled Yosu city and
reached the city hall following a 6km
tree-lined course.
On August 31 the relay covered
Sunchon — Mokpo section. In Sungju
county, three Buddhist monks relayed
the torch, while in Yongam a royal
procession carried the sacred flame,
heightening the mood of nationwide
involvement.
At 11:10 a.m. on September 1, the
torch left Mokpo amidst group folk
dances and traditional farmers'music,
heading to Kwangju past vast expenses
of paddy fields. At Kwangju Railway
Station plaza, a large group of high
school girls holding blue silk-covered
lanterns welcomed the arrival of the
torch, and a farmers' band of 30
players and 67 folk chariot game
players mingled with the torch relay
formation on its way to the station.
At 8:30 a.m. September 2, the torch
left Kwangju for Tamyang on a 14.7km
course along the Olympic Expressway.
Passing through Sunchang from
Tamyang, the torch arrived at Namwon
where 30 runners clad in traditional
folk costumes unique to the region
carried the torch.
On the borderline between Chollabukdo
and Kyongsangnam-do, the torch
changed hands between deputy governors
of the provinces to start the
relay in Kyongsangnam-do; from
Kochang to Taegu covering 55.4 kilometers
along the Olympic Expressway,
the torch was again carried by car.
At the entrance to the Taegu-Masan
Expressway, the torch was transferred
to the first Taegu runner at 6:25 p.m.
amidst an enthusiastic welcome by
Taegu citizens. As the torch was passing
by Turyu Park, cultural events
including farmers' music, folk dances,
mask and fan dances, and singing
were staged by 2,242 persons.