Pyeongchang 2018 has begun a nationwide mascot tour ©Pyeongchang 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 has begun a nationwide mascot promotion tour where white tiger “Soohorang” and Asiatic black bear “Bandabi” will travel the country in order to generate enthusiasm in South Korea for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The two full-sized mascots made their first-ever public appearance during the opening event on the tour, held at Hoenggye Elementary School in Pyeongchang today.

Vancouver 2010 figure skating gold medallist Kim Yuna, one of the most recognisable winter sports athletes in the Asian nation, was in attendance, along with around 150 students.

The event itself included a small exhibition of a number of sports, including rifle shooting for biathlon, sled riding for luge, and a Virtual Reality experience for ski-jumping.

Participants were given the chance to try the range of activities under the guidance of professional athletes.

Wheelchair curling, which is on the programme for the 2018 Winter Paralympics, was also demonstrated.

The Organising Committee hope the tour will allow youngsters to build a relationship with the mascots, who will have a prominent role during the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The first event comes ahead of a launch ceremony for “Soohorang” and “Bandabi”, due to be held on Wednesday (July 20).

The Pyeongchang 2018 mascots made their first public life-size appearance during the opening event of the tour ©Pyeongchang 2018
The Pyeongchang 2018 mascots made their first public life-size appearance during the opening event of the tour ©Pyeongchang 2018

"Today’s event was thrown to publicly show our mascots, “Soohorang” and “Bandabi,” as symbols to communicate and interact with the world,” Pyeongchang 2018 President Lee Hee-Beom said.

“In order to work up the Olympic excitement, the tour will also hit the Rio Games for more active international promotion and reach major cities and festivals in South Korea.”

Last month, Pyeongchang 2018 announced they had made emoticons of the two mascots available on free instant messaging application Kakao Talk in South Korea.

Users of the application, which allows Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone users to send and receive messages free of charge, will now be able to send miniature versions of the mascots to friends and family.

The mascots were unveiled at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting in June.

A tiger, which will be the Olympic mascot, traditionally represents the "shape" of the Korean peninsula.

The white tiger is considered a "sacred guardian animal".

Its colour is also indicative of the snow and ice of winter sports.

The name “Soohorang” is a combination of several meanings in the Korean language, with “Sooho” the Korean word for “protection,” and “Rang” a part of the word for tiger as well as a traditional folk music of Gangwon Province, where the host city is located.

The Paralympic mascot choice of the bear is seen as "symbolic of strong will and courage", with the Asiatic Black Bear also the symbol animal of Gangwon Province.