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Official 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics torch, constructed of a white metal exterior shell with a gold-colored metal interior, measuring 27.5˝ in length and 3.25˝ at its widest point, designed by Young Se Kim of INNO Design and produced by Hanwha Corporation. At the top, the exterior shell is divided into five vertical branches to form a pentagonal shape, representing the sporting passion and spirit that unite the five Olympic continents. A colorful raised PyeongChang 2018 emblem decorates the body of the torch, and the handle is embellished with gold-colored geometric motifs inspired by the Korean alphabet, Hangul. The white and gold colors used in the design represent the snow and ice of the Winter Games, as well as the Olympic flame, and correspond with the color scheme of the PyeongChang relay. The 700-millimeter length of the torch represents the altitude of PyeongChang, which lies 700 meters above sea level. The torch was specially engineered so that the flame could burn continuously despite inclement weather, generating an air tunnel that supplies additional oxygen to the flame, while a pentagonal opening at the base allows water to drain.
The flame lighting ceremony for the 2018 Games was held in Olympia, Greece, on October 24, 2017. Following an eight-day and 2,100-kilometer journey around Greece, the flame arrived on Korean soil in Incheon on November 1st to commence a 101-day relay covering 2,018 kilometers across South Korea, a deliberate reference to the year of the Games. The relay toward PyeongChang Olympic Stadium featured approximately 7,500 torchbearers and was designed to showcase the nation's technological achievements, cultural heritage, and natural beauty before culminating in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on February 9, 2018. An elegant and highly symbolic Olympic torch that successfully blends Korean cultural traditions with modern industrial design.
