Olympic flame arrives in South Korea for 2018 Winter Games

Honorary Ambassador Kim Yu-na and South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon carry the Olympic flame at the Incheon International airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Nov 1, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and international Olympic movement representatives were among the crowd that sent off the Flame with warm wishes for success at the Feb 9-25 Games.

"We are handing over, today, the Olympic Flame, so that you carry it to your distant but most beautiful country and so that it keeps sending the messages of peace, friendship and fraternity throughout its journey," Capralos said before handing the torch to Lee Hee-beom.

"We are honored that the PyeongChang Winter Games represents the second time the Olympic Flame will be in Korea, since the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games," the President of the Organizing Committee "PyeongChang 2018" said addressing the event.

"The slogan of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Torch Relay, 'Let Everyone Shine', means the Olympic flame will shine for each and everyone's dream, passions and future anytime and anywhere...The PyeongChang 2018 will be an Olympics of peace and harmony," he stressed.