Why Soohorang the Tiger Is the Mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics

While Olympic athletes can sometimes seem superhuman, at least one central figure at Friday's opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, will not be human at all. This year's official Olympic mascot, Soohorang, is a white tiger. And, while Soohorang is new to the scene, there are centuries of history behind why the tiger was chosen to represent these particular Winter Olympic Games.

Unpacking the mascot's name will tell you a lot already.