Busan is good

The Flame of Unity and Hope for the National Sports Festival and the National Para Games Travels Across 16 Gu·Gun Districts

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that at 10:00 a.m. today (October 13), it will hold a joint lighting and departure ceremony for the torches of the 106th National Sports Festival and the 45th National Para Games at the City Hall Citizens’ Plaza, wishing for their successful hosting.

During this event, four separate flames—lit between September 25 and October 3 at Godangbong Peak of Geumjeongsan Mountain (Flame of Hope), UN Memorial Peace Park (Flame of Peace), Yeondaebong Peak on Gadeokdo Island (Flame of Aspiration), and Manisan Mountain on Ganghwado Island (Flame of Harmony)—will be combined into a single flame to mark the official start of the torch relay.

Approximately 200 participants, including Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan and President of the Busan Sports Association for the Disabled; Ahn Seong-min, Chairperson of the Busan Metropolitan Council; Kim Seok-jun, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education; and Jang In-hwa, President of the Busan Sports Council, will attend the event.

The ceremony will begin with an opening performance by the fusion performance team IN Pungnyu, followed by the unification of the flames, the lighting of the official torch, the handover to the first torchbearer, a celebratory performance by the children’s cheerleading team Shooting Star, and finally, the departure of the torch relay.

The torches that had been preserved in the flame storage on the first floor of City Hall will be carried into the venue by the final torchbearers from each lighting site. Mayor Park Heong-joon (Flame of Harmony), Busan Metropolitan Council Chairperson Ahn Seong-min (Flame of Peace), Superintendent Kim Seok-jun (Flame of Hope), and Busan Sports Council President Jang In-hwa (Flame of Aspiration) will then unite the flames into one.

The united flame, symbolizing the wish for “One Korea United in Busan, the Global Hub City,” will burn brightly to mark the approach of the 106th National Sports Festival and the 45th National Para Games.

After departing from City Hall, the unified torch will begin its four-day journey through 16 Gu·Gun districts, starting in Yeonje-gu. More than 1,200 torchbearers will participate in the relay, which will conclude at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on October 17, where the flame will be used to ignite the main cauldron during the opening ceremony and will continue burning throughout the games.

The first torchbearer to begin the relay is Kwon Joong-hyun, a senior sports figure (former Vice President of the Busan Sports Council and silver medalist in cycling at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games), symbolizing the history and tradition of Busan’s sports community.

Following him, young athletes representing the next generation—Lee Geon-ho (a middle school track athlete) and Hwang Seol-hu (an elementary school swimmer)—will serve as sub-torchbearers, conveying messages of hope and challenge across generations.

Torchbearers

• ●Kwon Joong-hyun: Former Vice President of the Busan Sports Council; silver medalist in cycling at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games

• ●Lee Geon-ho (Daeshin Middle School, Grade 3, Track): Gold medalist in the 100m and bronze medalist in the 200m at the 54th National Junior Sports Festival

• ●Hwang Seol-hu (Gwangnam Elementary School, Grade 6, Swimming): Double gold medalist in the 50m and 100m backstroke at the 54th National Junior Sports Festival

Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “It has been 25 years since Busan last hosted the National Sports Festival, and our citizens have poured their hearts into preparing for its success.”

He added, “The flame that begins its journey today will be carried through 16 Gu·Gun districts by more than 1,200 torchbearers over four days, all running together with the shared wish for the success of the games. I hope this united flame will serve as a symbol of national harmony and shine light on Busan’s future as a city of everyday sports and a global hub city.”