The 2018 Winter Olympics Mascot was called Soohorang. The main idea is that Soohorang was a white tiger, which is a significant symbol in Korean culture and mythology. The mascot was chosen to represent the Olympic values of peace, unity, and friendship. Soohorang's name is a combination of the Korean words "Sooho," which means protection, and "rang," which means tiger. The white tiger symbolizes bringing good luck and protection. Soohorang was designed with a cute and friendly appearance, wearing a traditional Korean winter hat called a "bokjeongori" and a red scarf.

Winter Olympic mascots through the years

One was decided by a newspaper poll, one by a public vote and some others through a contest. The most recent was chosen from thousands of global entries of illustrations by children. Over the years, the mascots for the Winter Olympics have been abstract forms, animals and humans.

And they have remained in the public memory.

Bing Dwen Dwen, the cheerful panda, is the official mascot for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but there were plenty before.

A woman poses for a photo with a statue of the Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen in Beijing, Jan. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Shuss, a man on skis in abstract form, was the first official mascot for a Winter Olympics. He was the mascot for the 1968 Grenoble Games, made in the colors of France: blue, red and white.

Norwegian children Haakon and Kristin, dressed in Viking outfits, were the first mascots in human form. The 1994 Lillehammer mascots are said to have been inspired by historical figures Håkon IV Håkonson, the 13th century king of Norway, and his aunt Princess Kristin.

Schneemandl is said to have been a commercial success and inspired versions of living mascots. Austrian for “Snowman,” Schneemandl was the mascot for the 1976 Innsbruck Games.

Snowmen, mascots of the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, appear in Kitzbühel, Austria, Jan. 28, 1975, during World Cup downhill skiing events. (AP Photo)

A wolf isn’t an expected character for a mascot but the 1984 Sarajevo Games transformed an animal known to be feared into a friendly image. In Yugoslavian fables, the wolf symbolizes winter. Vučko the wolf was chosen through a contest with hundreds of participants.

Neve and Gliz were the mascots for the 2006 Turin Olympics. Neve is a snowball and Gliz an ice cube.

In Beijing, Bing Dwen Dwen is everywhere — on buses, at street corners and hanging from the rafters at some official Olympic venues. He is the face that those in a strict Olympic bubble at the Beijing Games will take back with them.

Olympic mascots and a young girl participate in the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A child wears one of the Olympic mascots on his face when watching the women's 1,500-meter speedskating race at the Gangneung Oval at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Workers browse their phones next to the mascots for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games near the South Korean booth during the World Winter Sports Expo in Beijing, Sept. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Robotic mascots perform during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The mascots for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, from left, Miga, Quatchi and Sumi pose for photographers following their debut to students in Surrey, British Columbia, on Nov. 27, 2007. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

Children attending the short track skating races in the Palavela Arena cheer with Torino Olympic mascots Neve, left and Gliz at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Feb. 15, 2006. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Supporters of the Austrian ski team make music with Powder one of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games mascots as they wait for the start of the weather delayed women's downhill in Snowbasin, Utah on Feb. 11, 2002. (AP Photo/Rudi Blaha)

Snowlets, the Olympic mascots, walk around the stadium prior to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at Minami Nagano Sports Park in Nagano, Japan on Feb. 7, 1998. (AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)

The wooden mascots of the Winter Olympics watch over one of the main shopping streets on Feb. 8, 1994, in Lillehammer, Norway. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Allison McAbe is framed by all kinds of souvenirs in a Calgary, Alberta, shop on Feb. 7, 1988. (AP Photo/Michel Lipchitz)

Vucko the wolf, the symbol for the XIV winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo's Yugoslavia, dances with Howdy the bear who will be the symbol for the next Winter Games, to be held on Calgary, Alberta, Feb. 19, 1984, at the closing ceremonies for the games in Sarajevo. (AP Photo)

Amela Dizdar, 3, poses with a replica of the Winter Olympics mascot named Vucko in Sarajevo in 1984. The mascot was the creation of Joze Trobec, an academic painter from Kranj in Slovenia. (AP Photo/Bob Dear)

A snowman, mascot of the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, greets children in Kitzbuhel, Austria, during the world downhill ski events, January 1975. (AP Photo)

Everything You Need To Know About The Adorable Soohorang

If you're one of the fans itching to learn what mascot will represent the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, your wait is over. Soohorang, the 2018 Winter Olympic Games mascot, is officially here. And it is adorable.

The mascot for the winter games that will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, is a plump white tiger with a stout nose. In addition to its visually heartwarming appearance, Soohorang also has a deep cultural meaning for Koreans. Culturally, the 2018 Winter Olympic Games said, "Soohorang" is derivative of two separate words. "Sooho" means protection or shielding in Korean while "rang" is the middle part of the word "ho-rang-i" which is Korean for "tiger."

Together, "Sooho" and "rang" point to the good luck the mascot hopefully brings to the Olympic players. The website added that the last part of the traditional Korean song title — "jeong-seon a-ri-rang" — is also part of the word "Soohorang." In simple words, the cute little tiger is a cultural symbol for prosperity and protection.

Although Soohorang made its official appearance in January 2018, the executive board for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games had approved of the mascot in June 2016. The Olympics website stated:

In selecting a tiger as mascot, the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee chose an animal closely associated with Korean mythology and culture. The tiger has been a familiar figure in Korean folk tales as a symbol of trust, strength and protection.

The website also added, "In mythology, the white tiger was viewed as a guardian that helped protect the country and its people. The mascot’s colour also evokes its connection to the snow and ice of winter sports."

According to Olympic.org, Gunilla Lindberg, who works as the head of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang commission, said that the mascot was a "beautiful animal, strongly associated with Korean culture." "It also symbolizes the close link between the Olympic Winter Games and the natural environment," she added. "I’m sure the new mascot will be very popular with Koreans and people around the world."

Historically, the IOC has introduced a variety of (pretty cute) mascots over time. For example, during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, the official mascot for the event was "Vinicius." Vinicius looked like a feline hybrid but was a "mix of different Brazilian animals." He represented "the diversity of the Brazilian people and culture, as well as its exuberant nature," according to the Olympics official website.

In 1980, the mascot for the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia, was a sweet little bear commonly known as "Misha." His full name was "Mikhail Potapych Toptygin" and was culturally popular among Russians through folklore. For history fans, there's a whole list you can look into. From 1968 to 2018, the official Olympics website offers a glance at the historical mascots that became the official symbols for the games.

For the Olympics, mascots like Soohorang, Vinicius, Misha, and others hold a cultural importance. The website says its inspiration for mascots comes from the word itself that "appeared in French dictionaries at the end of the 19th century." In other words, Soohorang, the trustworthy tiger, isn't going anywhere in the near future; the organization says it "has a dauntless spirit and passion but also is a trustworthy friend who protects the athletes, spectators and all participants in the Olympic Games."

If you want to see more of Soohorang, you can get a lot more than just a glimpse of it at the scheduled events for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The games will start on Feb. 9 and will end on Feb. 25 while various competitions will take place at 13 different venues, according to CNN. Keep your eyes open for the white tiger.

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Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games mascots unveiled

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A cartoon white tiger named “Soohorang” will be the mascot for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

The organizing committee of the Games made the announcement Thursday and said an Asian black bear character, named “Bandabi,” was picked as the mascot for the Paralympics.

Soohorang, created by South Korean designers, was picked as the mascot because Koreans have long equated the shape of the Korean Peninsula to the shape of a tiger, the committee said. White tigers are also considered as guardian animals in Korean folklore.

Bandabi was picked as the Paralympic mascot because bears to Koreans represent strong will and courage, and also because the Asian black bear is the symbolic animal of the Gangwon Province, the region that governs Pyeongchang, the committee said.

Lee Hee-bom, the president of Pyeongchang’s organizing committee, said that the mascots embody the “collective will” for the successful hosting of the Olympics and Paralympics, and will now “spearhead” the committee’s communication and marketing activities.

Gunilla Lindberg, head of the IOC’s coordination commission for the 2018 Games, said the white tiger was great choice for a mascot because “it’s a beautiful animal, strongly associated with Korean culture.”

South Korea also used a tiger mascot, “Hodori,” for the Seoul Olympics in 1988, the last time the country hosted the games.

The organizing committee said it will hold ceremonies in Seoul and Pyeongchang in July to publicly promote the mascots.

2018 Winter Olympics: Who are the mascots in Pyeongchang and what do their names mean?

THE WINTER OLYMPICS are finally here - and it just wouldn't be the same without the mascots.

Who could forget Wenlock from London 2012 or the bizarre and frankly terrifying Phevos and Athena from Athens 2004?

The Winter Olympics is set to start on Thursday with the opening ceremony being held on Friday Credit: Getty Images - Getty

With things starting to heat up in Pyeonchang ahead of the action, we take a look at this year's offering.

Soohorang was designed with a cute and friendly appearance, wearing a traditional Korean winter hat called a "bokjeongori" and a red scarf. The mascot played a vital role in promoting the 2018 Winter Olympics and capturing the hearts of people worldwide. Soohorang's image was used on various promotional materials, merchandise, and events leading up to the Games.

Who are the mascots?

UNLIKE Sochi 2014, in South Korea there are two mascots rather than three.

The Hare, the Polar Bear and the Leopard from the Russia games are gone in place of Soohorang, a sort of cuddly white tiger, and Bandabi, an asiatic black bear.

Long considered to be the guardian animal of South Korean's, the white tiger is well loved by the public and has already been well received in Pyeonchang.

The organisers say: "Soohorang is a trustworthy friend who protects the athletes, spectators and all the participants of the Olympic Games."

Bandabi, said to be symbolic of courage and strength, is decked out in a woolly hat and was approved along with Soohorang back in 2016 following a two year consulation.

Both are available as animated emoticons on KakaoTalk, a popular messaging application in South Korea.

The mascot's presence helped to create excitement and anticipation for the Winter Olympics. Soohorang's role was not only to entertain but also to inspire people to embrace the Olympic spirit and celebrate the international sporting event. Overall, Soohorang, as the 2018 Winter Olympics mascot, successfully brought Korean culture to the forefront and had a positive impact on the Games' atmosphere..

Reviews for "Soohorang: The Unifying Force of the 2018 Winter Olympics"

1. Jane - 1 star

I was really disappointed with the 2018 Winter Olympics mascot. I found it to be unimaginative and lacking in creativity. It was just a white tiger wearing glasses and a hat. I didn't feel any connection to it or any understanding of its significance to the games. Overall, I found the mascot to be underwhelming and a missed opportunity to create something truly unique and memorable.

2. Mark - 2 stars

The 2018 Winter Olympics mascot just didn't resonate with me. I understand they were going for a representation of Korean culture with the white tiger, but it just felt forced and cliché. The design was also quite basic and didn't leave a lasting impression. I think they could have done better in terms of choosing a mascot that would appeal to a wider audience and reflect the spirit of the Winter Olympics more effectively.

3. Sarah - 2 stars

I wasn't a fan of the 2018 Winter Olympics mascot. It seemed like a generic choice to me. The white tiger is a well-known symbol in Korean culture, but it felt overused and uninspiring as the mascot for such a prestigious event. I was hoping for something more unique and memorable. The design itself also lacked originality and lacked the charm that I would expect from an Olympics mascot. Overall, I was quite disappointed with the choice of mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

4. Michael - 1 star

I found the 2018 Winter Olympics mascot to be quite forgettable. The white tiger theme seemed outdated and didn't capture my interest. The design was also quite simplistic, and I struggled to see any connection between the mascot and the Winter Olympics. It felt like a missed opportunity to create something truly inspiring and representative of the games. Overall, I was not impressed with the choice of mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The Story of Soohorang: The Journey from Sketch to Mascot