South Korea

OLYMPIC SPIRIT

The Olympic Games

Every four years, the world pays tribute to the athletes and teams whose long hours of training and commitment to excellence delivers them to the Olympic Games. For the host nation, the Olympic Games offer an opportunity to introduce the world to its history, culture and love of sport. 

To commemorate the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the Bank of Korea introduced its first ever commemorative banknote. With a value of 2,000-won, another first for the Bank, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Commemorative Banknote exhibits the same passion, graceful motion and excellence as the Olympic athletes themselves. 

MOTION Switch 

At the banknote’s center is MOTION Switch – Crane Currency’s micro-optic security feature that protects some of the world’s most valuable banknotes. MOTION Switch exhibits the same pleasing and easy to authenticate movement as MOTION but holds an additional level of security. A distinct change from one moving image to another is triggered when the banknote is tilted. In the 2,000-won Olympic Commemorative banknote, the character
“內” fluidly moves and changes to the character “公”, creating acronyms for “PyeongChang”, providing security and a dynamic action that captures the speed and beauty of Olympic sport. 

More about MOTION Switch

ICONIC IMAGERY OF KOREA CULTURE

Thousands of athletes from all over the world participate in the Olympic Games. As a result, the Olympic Games offer a global audience not only the thrill of athletic contest but a unique and intimate introduction to the host nation and its people. 

The reverse of the 2,000-won Olympic Commemorative banknote delivers on this tradition by having as its subject the Tiger under a Pine Tree by Kim Hong-do. It is simultaneously a strong symbol of national identity as well as an expression of strength and cunning worthy of an Olympic competitor. 

AN OLYMPIC MOTTO ACHIEVED

“Passion. Connected.” served as the official motto of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The exciting design of the 2,000-won commemorative banknote connects well the passion for athletic competition with the love of sportsmanship and culture.  Perhaps it was this exciting banknote with its vivid movement and rich port­rayal of Korean culture that provided the host nation with a secret advantage. At the PyeongChang Olympic Games the South Korea Olympic Team won seventeen medals, more than at any previous Winter Olympics. To the South Korea Olympic Team and Bank of Korea, Congratulations!