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PyeongChang 2018's vision for the 2018 Games was to offer the Olympic Movement and the world of winter
sports New Horizons - a legacy of new growth and new potential never seen before. Its Winter Games plan
was one of the most compact in Olympic history,
it offered a unique stage on which the world’s best athletes
could achieve superior performances. With PyeongChang’s strategic position in Asia,
and its access to a young
and fast growing youth market, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games exposed new generations of potential athletes
to the power of winter sport.
The emblem’s design has its roots in Hangul, with the shapes that form the logo stemming from the first consonants of
each syllable in the word “PyeongChang” when it is written in Hangul. The first character in the emblem also represents
a gathering place where the three elements of Cheon-ji-in – heaven, earth, and human – are in harmony.
The second character symbolises snow and ice, as well as the athletes’ stellar performances.
PyeongChang 2018’s new emblem symbolises a grand gathering of people from all around the world in celebration of
Olympic winter sports, which is taking place in the harmonious land of PyeongChang – “A square where the earth meets the sky,
and where athletes excel in snow or on ice - that’s where everyone will celebrate the world’s biggest winter festival in 2018.”
The emblem uses five traditional Korean colours – black, blue/green, yellow, red, and white – which is the same colour scheme as
that found in the Olympic flag. Traditionally, blue and green were represented by a single word in Hangul but this has now changed,
with separate words now existing for each. The five cardinal colours are found in many aspects of daily life and tradition in Korea,
including in clothing, celebrations, martial arts, architecture, art and food
Soohorang
Soohorang, the mascot of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, took its motif from the white tiger.
The white tiger has been long considered Korea’s guardian animal.
“Sooho”, meaning protection in Korean, symbolises the protection offered to the athletes, spectators and other participants of the 2018 Games.
“Rang” comes from the middle letter of “Ho-rang-i”, the Korean word for “tiger,” and is also the last letter of “Jeong-seon A-ri-rang”,
a cherished traditional folk song of Gangwon Province, where the Games will be held.
Soohorang not only has a challenging spirit and passion, but is also a trustworthy friend who protects the athletes,
spectators and all the participants of the Olympic Games.
