PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics mascots revealed

The official mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) were revealed Thursday afternoon.

A white tiger named “Soohorang” and an Asiatic black bear named “Bandabi” will each represent the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Both animals appear in Korea’s foundation mythology and are closely associated with Korean culture and folklore.

Tigers traditionally represent the shape of the Korean peninsula; the white tiger especially is considered a sacred guardian animal. Its color is also indicative of the snow and ice of winter.

The bear is symbolic of strong will and courage. The asiatic black bear is also the symbol animal of Gangwon Province.

The organising committee said the mascots were designed to express a wide spectrum of emotions such as passion, joy, enthusiasm and love to actively engage the public.

This type of design reflects Korea’s unique contemporary cultural trend of using visual characters to express emotions.