The Korea Herald

소아쌤

[PyeongChang 2018] K-pop stars celebrate arrival of Olympic flame in Korea

By Hong Dam-young

Published : Nov. 2, 2017 - 16:07

    • Link copied

Marking 100 days until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, biggest stars of K-pop took to stage in Seoul on Wednesday in a bid to celebrate the beginning of the Olympic torch relay in Korea.

The Olympic torch, which last burned in Korea 30 years ago when Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Games, arrived at Incheon on Wednesday after a handover ceremony in Athens on Tuesday. 

K-pop at EXO performs at a K-pop concert celebrating the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency) K-pop at EXO performs at a K-pop concert celebrating the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency)

Gwanghwamun Square, filled to the brim with fans from all over the world, rocked on Wednesday night as the “One Passion, Korea Korea” concert kicked off with high-energy performances of four-piece rock band Trans Fiction, veteran folk singer Yang Hee-eun and hip-hop trio MFBTY, consisting of Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, and Bizzy. K-pop acts Ulala Session, Momo Land and Cosmic Girls were next in line to add flames to the already fiery atmosphere. 

K-pop concert celebrating 100 days until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the arrival of the Olympic torch in Korea takes place at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap) K-pop concert celebrating 100 days until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the arrival of the Olympic torch in Korea takes place at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

K-pop act BTS performs at a K-pop concert to celebrate the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency) K-pop act BTS performs at a K-pop concert to celebrate the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency)

Big name K-pop idol bands such as Day6, NCT 127, B.A.P, BTOB and Twice were among the last batch of headliners, with Day6 performing the emotional ballad “Congratulations” and BTOB and Twice dancing to their latest singles “Missing You” and “Likey,” respectively.

Bringing some of K-pop‘s global appeal to the Olympic table, BTS and EXO, two fan-favorites, rounded out the event.

Another leg of the K-pop concert celebrating the arrival of the Olympic torch was simultaneously held at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon on Wednesday as well, where Taeyang from K-pop act Big Bang, one of the goodwill ambassadors of the PyeongChang Olympics, and band Daybreak headlined the event. 

 
K-pop act Twice performs at a K-pop concert celebrating the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency) K-pop act Twice performs at a K-pop concert celebrating the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday. (The Korea Creative Content Agency)

The Olympic flame that arrived in Incheon on Wednesday will be relayed around the country by 7,500 torchbearers on a 100-day journey, finally arriving at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in Gangwon Province on Feb. 9. South Korean figure skating prospect You Young kicked off the 2,018-kilometer trip from Incheon on Wednesday. The torch will be taken through nine provinces and eight major cities in Korea until returns to Incheon again on Jan. 19 next year, ahead of the Olympic Games.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)