SEOUL, 2 June (BelTA - Yonhap) - A white tiger, a mythological guardian in South Korean folklore, will be the mascot for the country's first Winter Olympics in 2018.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) announced Thurday "Soohorang" will represent the Winter Olympics. The Asiatic black bear, named "Bandabi," will be the mascot for the Paralympic Winter Games, the POCOG added.
The mascots were finalized following the POCOG's presentation to the International Olympic Committee (ICO) Executive Board Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a prior approval by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The POCOG noted that tigers traditionally represent the shape of the Korean Peninsula, and the white tiger is regarded as "a sacred guardian animal." The color white is also indicative of the snow and ice of winter sports, the POCOG added.
"'Sooho' is the Korean word for 'protection,' meaning that it protects the athletes, spectators and all participants of the Olympic Games," the POCOG's English-language statement said. "'Rang' comes from the middle letter of 'ho-rang-i,' which means 'tiger,' and also from the last letter of 'Jeongseon Arirang,' a traditional folk music of Gangwon Province, where the host city is located."
