The 'Astronaut' singer successfully carries out his mission to carry the flame as the first torchbearer in the Louvre section of the torch relay with cheers from fans.
- July 15, 2024
AceShowbiz - Jin of BTS (Bangtan Boys) has successfully carried out his mission as an Olympic torchbearer. On Sunday, July 14, the K-Pop idol carried the flame for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics amid cheers from thousands of fans.
The South Korean singer led the Louvre Museum section of the relay in Paris. The event coincided with Bastille Day, France's national holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution.
As he emerged from the Pyramid of the museum at around 8 P.M., he was greeted by fans who held signs handwritten in Korean saying, "Welcome, Seok-jin, I Love You," "Run, Seok-jin" and "Good luck, Seok-jin," along with South Korean national flags. The "Epiphany" singer flashed a smile and waved to his fans as he prepared to carry the torch.
Escorted by police, he then moved to Rue de Rivoli, a nearby street, and was handed the torch at 8:30 P.M. He ran about 200 meters before returning it to the torch relay center at the museum.
"I feel extremely honored to have been able to participate in today's torch relay," Jin said after completing the torch relay, according to Hybe, the parent company of his agency BigHit Music. "I sincerely thank ARMY and all the fans who made it possible for me to carry the torch."
Chosen by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, Jin represented the Republic of Korea as the first torchbearer for the Louvre section of the relay in downtown Paris. "Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin) will be the first torch bearer in the Louvre section of the torch relay in Paris," the official Olympic website announced the schedule earlier this month.
On Thursday, July 11, the eldest member of BTS flew out of South Korea to France through Incheon International Airport for this event. He was discharged from the military on June 12, becoming the first member of the group to complete mandatory military service.
The Olympic Torch Relay began in April in Greece. The French domestic torch relay, which began May 8 in Marseille, southern France, has been under way for more than two months. After arriving in Paris on Sunday, it will travel through various parts of the French capital until Monday and then return to the provinces before coming back to Paris for the opening ceremony on July 26.
