Soohorang ( ko, 수호랑) is the official mascot of the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , winte ...

, and Bandabi ( ko, 반다비) is the official mascot of the

2018 Winter Paralympics ) , nations = 49 , athletes = 569 , events = 80 in 6 sports , opening = 9 March , closing = 18 March , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Eun-jung Seo Soon-seok , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic ...

. Both events were held in

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...

Gangwon Gangwon or Kangwŏn may refer to: * Gangwon Province (historical), the Goryeo, Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese Korean province * Gangwon Province (South Korea), a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Kore ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Soohorang is a

white tiger The white tiger or bleached tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the Mainland tiger. It is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, in the Sunderbans region and ...

and Bandabi is an

Asiatic black bear The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sou ...

. The mascots were selected through a national tender process held in 2014 and were approved of by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

(IOC) on June 2, 2016.

Selection

On June 27, 2014, the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee notified the public of their mascot selection contest. The selection process took place from September 15, 2014 to September 30, 2014. On June 2, 2016, the International Olympic Committee approved the mascots for the games.

Characteristics

Soohorang

Soohorang is the mascot of the 2018 Winter Olympics. "Sooho" means "protection" in Korean, symbolizing the protection offered to the athletes, participants and spectators at the Winter Olympics, as well as preserving the world peace that is the spirit of the Olympic Games. "Rang" derives from "Ho-rang-i", the Korean word for "tiger"; it is also the last letter of "Jeongseon Arirang", a cherished traditional Korean folk song of Gangwon Province. Soohorang took its motif from the

, known as "baekho" in Korean, which is considered to be Korea's sacred guardian animal. Its colour is also indicative of the snow and ice of winter sports. Tigers have long been a notable aspect of Korean folklore and culture. Baekho, the white tiger, is described in myths and narratives as a divine imaginary animal that watches over the mountains and nature. A cultural symbol for prosperity and protection, Baekho is revered as a god who cares for humanity, praying for the peace and well-being of the village in Korean folklore, while maintaining the continuity of

Hodori Hodori () was the official mascot of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. The stylized tiger was designed by Kim Hyun as an amicable Amur tiger, portraying the friendly and hospitable traditions of the Korean people. Origin an ...

which was the mascot of the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

in Seoul. It has also been noted that Baekho is in harmony with the Winter Games that take place in "the white fields of snow". In summary, Soohorang is full of "passion and enthusiasm" and "a strong personality that protects the people who participate in the Olympics."

Bandabi

Bandabi is the mascot of the 2018 Winter Paralympics. It is a symbol of will and courage. "Banda" means "half-moon" or a "half-moon beast", and "bi" means to celebrate the competition. Bandabi is a warm-hearted friend who "has strong will and courage, is at the forefront of equality and harmony," and supports the enthusiasm of the players in the Paralympics so that they can overcome their limitations. Bandabi also has a continuity with Gomdoori, which was a mascot at the

1988 Summer Paralympics The 1988 Summer Paralympics () were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" was used officially. Bidding proc ...

in Seoul.

Media

Emoticons

Soohorang and Bandabi are available as animated emoticons in

KakaoTalk KakaoTalk (Hangul: 카카오톡), commonly referred to as KaTalk (Hangul: 카톡) in South Korea, is a mobile messaging app for smartphones operated by Kakao Corporation. It was launched on March 18, 2010, and it is available on mobile and deskto ...

, a popular messaging, texting, or communication application in South Korea.

Reception

The public reception to the mascots has been described as overwhelmingly positive. According to Hannah Keyser, a writer for sports news website '' Deadspin'', the mascots could be found "everywhere" during the Olympics, and they were "surprisingly universally beloved". Dan McQuade, another writer for ''Deadspin'', commented that it will be difficult for

Miraitowa and Someity Miraitowa () is the official mascot of the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Someity () is the official mascot of the 2020 Summer Paralympics. The events were held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021. The checkered design on both mascots was inspired by the ...

to match the popularity of Soohorang and Bandabi.

Gallery

File:2018 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Torch & Mascots,NMKCH.jpg, Torch & Mascots File:2018 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Mascots 02,NMKCH.jpg, Olympic materials File:2018 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Mascots 01,NMKCH.jpg, Mascots souvenir File:2018 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Promotion material 02.jpg, Olympic promotion materials

References

External links

* {{Olympic mascots Pyeongchang, 2018 Pyeongchang, 2018 Bear mascots Tiger mascots Fictional tigers Fictional bears Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional South Korean people South Korean mascots Olympic mascots Paralympic mascots Feline mascots Mascots introduced in 2016 Male characters in advertising