The 18th leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay started at 10:15 am (0115 GMT) Monday in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The torch was kindled with the Olympic flame stored in a special lantern carried by Li Binghua, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG), who handed the torch to Pak Pyong Jong, first Vice-Chairman of the People's Committee of Pyongyang. Pak then handed it to Kim Yong Nam.
Kim, top legislator of the DPRK, passed the torch to the first runner Park Tu Ik.
Park, 72, had scored the winner in the DPRK's 1-0 win over Italy to send his team to the World Cup soccer quarter-finals in 1966.
Thousands of cheering people lined city streets waving flowers and small flags as Park began the 20-kilometer relay.
The relay, expected to last four hours, began at the Juche Idea Tower and will conclude at the Kim Il-Sung Stadium, in which a celebration ceremony will be held.
The Olympic flame arrived in Pyongyang early Monday morning.
The special chartered plane carrying the flame landed on the Sunan International Airport at 00:28 am local time from Seoul.
The flight, directly flying from Seoul crossing the Yellow Sea, was a special arrangement, for the two Koreas were still in antagonizing status on the 38th parallel after the 1950s Korean War.
Li Binghua carried the lantern of the flame off the plane, to be received by Chinese Ambassador to DPRK Liu Xiaoming.
Upon arrival at the airport, Li and the flame received a warm welcome by Pak Hak Seon, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of the DPRK, and Pak Pyong Jong.
About 1,000 of full-dressed Koreans and Chinese students in the DPRK greeted the flame in the airport, cheering and raising banners of "Warmly Welcome Beijing Olympic Flame Arriving in Pyongyang" and "Wish the Torch Relay in Pyongyang a Full Success".
Eighty torchbearers represent different walks of life including government officials, famous athletes, working people in different fields, overseas Koreans and Chinese in the DPRK.
Source: Xinhua
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