According to Dispatch, a South Korean news site, on July 2, 2024, BTS member Jin was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in the forthcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Though the precise date and location for his run are still unknown, Jin will fly to France to participate in the ongoing Torch Relay.
A news statement was released on January 15, 2024, via the Paris Olympics official website, announcing that 80% of the 11,000 participants who will carry the torch during the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays had received confirmation. Most of the names were revealed between January and April, however, some were revealed in July 2024 to maintain the surprise.
According to the official website of the games, the torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024, and arrived in Marseille, France, on May 8, 2024. The Relay is set to end in Paris, France, on July 26, 2024.
Jin became the first Korean musician and K-pop idol to be selected as one of the honorable torchbearers in the history of the Olympics. Torchbearers are selected based on their massive contributions to the betterment of society and having inspired the global masses.
BTS's Jin is set to be one of the esteemed torchbearers at the 2024 Paris Olympics
BTS' Jin joins the list of previous celebrity forerunners, such as Sylvester Stallone for the 2004 Athens Olympics, John Legend, and Will.i.am for the 2012 London Olympics, among others.
The 2016 Summer Olympics torch relay included Basketball player Hortência Marcari, veteran Tennis player Gustavo Kuerten, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, Florent Manaudou, China's first torchbearer for the Rio Games, actor Yang Yang, and more.
In 2010, Shania Twain, Simon Whitfield, Silken Lauman, Alexandre Despatie, Catriona Le May Doan, and John Hayman, and NHL hockey stars including Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky, among others, were among the torchbearers.
Olympic torchbearers are entrusted with bringing the Olympic and Paralympic flames across France. For the first time, the opening ceremony will not be held inside the stadium. It will be held on Paris' main artery—the Seine. 10,000 torchbearers were selected for the Torch Relay and 1,000 for the Paralympic Torch Relay.
The Olympic Flame arrived in Marseille aboard the Belem on May 8, 2024. Around 400 towns and cities across France and its five overseas regions—French Guiana, Reunion Island, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, and Martinique—11,000 torchbearers will run a relay to celebrate this year's games.
For the Paralympic Games, torchbearers will once more stir the French people. The Paralympic Torch Relay will go through more than 50 towns and cities over the course of four days. It will be held from August 25 to August 28, 2024, before the Opening Ceremony takes place at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
More about the 2024 Paris Olympics ceremony
On July 26, 2024 (July 27 KST), athletes will march on the Seine under a new banner, with boats representing each country's delegation. The athletes will go through the heart of Paris as they make their journey from east to west, spanning six kilometers (3.72 miles).
At 7.30 p.m. CET (10.30 AM in Los Angeles), the parade will start at the Austerlitz bridge next to the Jardin des Plantes. It will circle the two islands in the city's center, the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité, before passing under several bridges and gates.
A few of the official Games locations will be visible as the parade boats course through the river, including the Grand Palais, the Parc Urbain La Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, and the léna Bridge at Trocadéro. After a 6-kilometer course, the procession will end at the Trocadér before the Trocadéro ceremony.
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024 stated in a news article released through the official Paris 2024 website that the Torch Relay is a one-of-a-kind experience that brings people together from every country. It is a sincere representation of true sportsmanship and community spirit.
"The Torch Relay is, above all, a human adventure, represented by the stories of each Torchbearer. Be they athletes or sports enthusiasts, committed to their local communities or involved in meaningful community projects, the people we call the Forerunners represent the richness and diversity of our society."
Torchbearers were chosen through various campaigns such as:
- 30,000 nominations through the Club Paris 2024 campaign, which ended on June 30, 2023.
- 15,000 candidates through the Coca-Cola campaign, which ended on October 15, 2023.
- 55,000 candidates through the Caisse d’Epargne and Banque Populaire campaigns, which ended on September 30, 2023.
In other news, BTS' Jin finished filming for the MBC's The Half-Star Hotel in Lost Island variety show. Jin shared on Weverse that he was busy filming several Korean variety shows and simultaneously working on his solo music. Jin is also reported to be featured on MBC's I Live Alone variety show.