[PyeongChang 2018] Meet Inmyeonjo, the new, unofficial mascot of PyeongChang

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- It seems like the PyeongChang Winter Games has a new, unofficial mascot: a human-faced bird named Inmyeonjo.

Soon after it was broadcast live, the bird quickly became a talking point among South Koreans -- and even among foreign viewers -- as many found the bird scary and even grotesque.

“I thought I was watching a horror movie,” said one Twitter user. “I would not have been able to forget that (horrific) face of Inmyeonjo if Kim Yuna had not appeared at the end of the ceremony,” said another.

But the bird soon started to receive rather favorable reviews, with some saying that more they looked at it, the better-looking it seemed.

Fan art featuring the Inmyeonjo has already plastered social media.

The hashtag “Drawing world’s best Inmyeonjo” was the top trending Korean keyword on Twitter.

One Twitter user posted a drawing featuring the bird along with the official mascots of the Games – Soohorang (white tiger) and Bandabi (Asiatic black bear) – all together, expressing appreciation for them all.

Another user created an account named Inmyeonjo, attracting 1,026 followers as of Saturday afternoon. “I will protect those who have followed me, Thank you,” the person tweeted. It has been retweeted more than 830 times.

Inmyeonjo was also featured in a movie poster created by another Twitter user. In it, the official mascots of the games, Soohorang and Bandabi, are fearfully, and somewhat courageously, looking at the gigantic and intimidating Inmyeonjo. The movie’s title is “The Grand PyeongChang Adventure.”

Meanwhile, a man who claims to have designed the bird for the Olympics appeared on Twitter, appreciating the unexpected attention it has been receiving since Friday.

“I’m the person who designed the Inmyeonjo. Thanks for the love and attention to my baby,” he said, posting a picture of himself rehearsing with the creature in a studio.

In spite of its eerie appearance, Inmyeonjo was traditionally believed to live in paradise by Buddhists in the Goguryeo Kingdom. They believed only those with a pure heart would be able to hear the bird sing – Inmyeonjo was also believed to have the most beautiful voice in heaven.

By Park Ju-young, Claire Lee (jupark@herladcorp.com) (dyc@heraldcorp.com)