Counting down the minutes and seconds. Seoul residents gathered in Yeouido Park on the banks of the Han River to witness a ray of light traveling through optical cables on Tuesday night. The light originated from the United States across the vast Pacific Ocean, and at 8:00 p.m. local time, Busan, Korea's second-largest city, was its first stop in the country.
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Fishing vessels illuminate the water around the Dokdo islets the moment when the "Light of Einstein," marking the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s epoch-making theory of relativity, reaches the islets Tuesday night. The light, which traveled from Princeton University in the United States, where Einstein found refuge from Nazi Germany, beamed around the globe in 24 hours Tuesday. /Yonhap
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"We chose Busan as the first place to receive the light as the Korean Physical Society was first established in the city in 1952 during the Korean War. I would like to encourage more people especially younger generations to take an interest in physics. We hope that the 21st century will also produce someone like Albert Einstein."
Entitled the "Light of Einstein," the transmission involved a laser beam that traveled not only to Seoul, but to other major cities and even the easternmost islets of Dokdo, located between Korea and Japan.
"Korea is part of the global relay of the beam of light to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the death of Albert Einstein.
The beam of light traveled around Korea and returned to Seoul at 8:40 p.m. before departing for China." Organized by the Korean Physical Society, a three-hour celebration took place in Seoul, including a laser show, fireworks and performances by local pop singers.
"I know this is the first world light festival. It's great to have an opportunity to see the beam of light up-close. Also it feels meaningful that the light traveled to the Dokdo islets."
"I think many people these days forget about the importance of physics, but through events like this, I hope more people will begin taking an interest in the field of science."
With the endorsement of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, a non-governmental organization devoted to the advancement of this field, named 2005 as the World Year of Physics.
Arirang TV
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