5000 Won Tiger Mascot

Issued to commemorate the 1988 Seoul Olympics — the first Games held in Korea — this piece belongs to a multi-year program the Bank of Korea launched in 1982 to fund Olympic infrastructure through collector coin sales. The tiger depicted was the official mascot, named Hodori, designed by Kim Hyun as part of a national competition drawing over 2,000 entries.

Hodori was chosen in part to invoke the tiger's deep roots in Korean folklore, where it figures as a guardian spirit rather than a predator — a distinction the selection committee made explicit in their announcement.