[PyeongChang 2018] Bye, Soohorang -- Bandabi takes over as mascot

Last month, the white tiger Soohorang received global attention for his adorable antics as the PyeongChang Winter Olympics mascot.

The position will now be handed over to the black bear Bandabi, the official mascot for the PyeongChang Paralympic Games that run from Friday to March 18.

A whimsical video featuring the two mascots was uploaded on to the official PyeongChang Instagram account Wednesday. Soohorang was spotted giving instructions and tips on how to captivate audiences with cute gestures to his successor.

Why are Bandabi’s eyes looking sideways?

The reason is simple, PyeongChang organizers say.

As Bandabi’s hand is stretched out and pointing to the left, welcoming visitors to the Paralympic Games and to PyeongChang, his eyes are naturally following that direction, a PyeongChang official said. 

Bandabi is an Asiatic bear, the symbolic animal of Gangwon Province, host of the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics. 

His predecessor is Gomduri, a bear mascot for the 1988 Seoul Summer Paralympics. Like Bandabi, Gomduri also sported a half-moon shaped emblem on its chest, signifying harmony between people with and without disabilities.

(doo@heraldcorp.com)