Soohorang and Bandabi
Soohorang and Bandabi are the official mascots of the 2018 Winter Olympics (Soohorang) and the 2018 Winter Paralympics (Bandabi) in Pyeongchang, South Korea .
description
Soohorang is a white tiger . The motif of the tiger was chosen because the animal has strong roots in Korean culture and mythology. It stands for strength, protection and trust. On the one hand, the white color is supposed to create a connection to winter; on the other hand, white tigers are considered sacred animals. The name of the mascot is composed of Sooho , Korean for protection , and rang , derived from the Korean ho-rang-i for tiger . The name is intended to express the protection of the Olympians, visitors and all other participants in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Committee also refers the syllable rang to Jeongseon Arirang, a variation of the folk song Arirang from Gangwon-do province, which is very well known in South Korea and used as a replacement for the national anthem at major sporting events .
Bandabi is an Asiatic black bear . Like the tiger, the black bear can also be found in Korean mythology. The bear motif is supposed to symbolize bravery, determination and a strong will. The black bear is also the symbol of the Gangwon-do province , in which the city of Pyeongchang is located. The name is made up of the syllables banda and bi . Banda stands for the Korean word bandal , which means something like crescent moon and refers to the crescent-shaped white color of the pleura of Asiatic black bears, which is why the animal is also called moon bear. The syllable bi stands for the implementation and celebration of the Paralympic Games.
Both mascots are also intended to illustrate the ties between the Games and nature and to inspire the public for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang.
presentation
The organizing committee of the games first presented the mascots to the public on June 2, 2016. The official presentation events took place in Pyeongchang and Seoul . The two mascots also appeared during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in the so-called PyeongChang 2018 House on Copacabana Beach to advertise the Winter Games in South Korea.
Emoticons
The instant messaging service KakaoTalk from the South Korean company Kakao has been offering Soohorang and Bandabi as animated emoticons in various designs since June 2016 .
Web links
- Soohorang on the official website of the International Olympic Committee
- Bandabi on the official website of the International Paralympic Committee
Individual evidence
- ↑ Minwoo Park, Patrick Johnston: 'Soohorang' and 'Bandabi' unveiled as Pyeongchang 2018 mascots. Reuters, July 18, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .
- ↑ a b PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic mascot is launched. International Paralympic Committee, June 2, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .
- ↑ 2018 Olympics shows mascots. sport1.de, June 2, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .
- ↑ Choi Ha-young: PyeongChang promotes mascot in Rio. The Korea Times, August 3, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .
- ↑ PyeongChang 2018 mascots emoticonised in free texting service. International Paralympic Committee, June 18, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .