He appeared at about 8:00 p.m. in central Paris to serve as a touch bearer, while thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their idol. Jin in a white jersey carried the flame for 200 meters from the Rue de Rivoli to the Louvre Pyramid where he handed over the torch to French skier Sandra Laoura.
"It is a great honor to participate in the torch relay of the Paris Olympics," Jin said. "I was able to finish the run thanks to support from all the fans who gathered here to see me and cheer me on."
This was Jin's first overseas outing after completing his mandatory military service last month. Samsung Electronics, one of the official sponsors of this year's sporting extravaganza, reportedly played a role in providing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to him.
As a traditional ritual, the Olympic flame was lit from Greece's ancient city of Olympia in April, beginning the torch relay for this year's quadrennial global sporting event. About 11,000 torchbearers have carried the flame through around 400 French cities, towns, and villages since May, with their winding journey set to culminate in the host city next week.
The final torchbearer, whose identity is kept under wraps until the last moment, will light a cauldron at the opening ceremony in Jardin des Tuileries in Paris on July 26, symbolizing the official start of the Olympics.
The Olympics are set to kick off on July 26, bringing together some 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries for a 16-day run. Korea will field some 140 athletes competing in 21 disciplines out of 32.
