In toroidal electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas under a weak external vertical field a part of the pressure driven vertical charge separation current returns along the helical field lines, generating a toroidal current. The rest circulates via the conducting vacuum vessel. Only the toroidal current contributes to the production of a closed flux surface. Both the toroidal and vertical currents are an equilibrium current that provides a radial force by the interaction with the vertical field and the toroidal field, respectively, to counter-balance the outward pressure ballooning force.We have done experiments using 2.45 GHz microwaves in the low aspect ratio torus experiment (LATE) device to investigate in what way and how much the toroidal current is generated towards the initiation of a closed flux surface. In steady discharges by kW under various both the pressure and the toroidal current become large with . When G, a toroidal current of 290 A is generated and the vertical field is reduced to 1.2 G inside the current channel, being close to the initiation of a closed flux surface. In this plasma the return current does not obey Ohm's law. Instead, the return current flows so that the electric force on the electron fluid is balanced with the pressure gradient along the field lines. Near the top and bottom boundaries superthermal electrons flow beyond the potential barrier onto the walls along the field lines. In another discharge by the low power of kW under G, both the toroidal current and the pressure steadily increase for an initial duration of 1.1 s and then abruptly jump, generating an initial closed flux surface. While the counter force from the vertical current is initially dominant, that from the toroidal current gradually increases and becomes four times larger than that from the vertical current just before the initiation of a closed flux surface. The results suggest that the conversion ratio to the return current along the field lines from the vertical charge separation current increases as the electron temperature increases. Upon initiation of a closed flux surface the counter force from the toroidal current also jumps by three times and becomes 10 times larger than that from the vertical current.