Experience the best of Korean culture as if you were live at the Winter Olympic Games

: Published: 17 December 2017

olympic games pyeong chang 1

Do you speak PyeongChang?, The Olympic Museum, from 7 December 2017 to 11 March 2018

Get ready - The Olympic Museum is about to head to Korea for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018! Try on traditional Korean clothing and discover both the modern and traditional aspects of Korean culture. The Olympic Museum's programme has been designed to reflect the slogan of these Games: "Passion.Connected". The objective: to provide all the ingredients to follow the Games from a more than purely sporting perspective. Prepare to discover Korean traditions and experience the Olympic Games as if you were there!

How do you say "free" in Korean again? Come to the Museum to find out... the entire Korean programme will be free of charge! On arrival at the entrance hall, visitors will be welcomed by two of Korea's special representatives, the giant mascots, Soohorang, the white tiger, and Bandabi, the black bear, who will set the tone for your outing.

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Between tradition and modernity - PyeongChang exhibition (Focus) Level+1

This special exhibition is based around the word "HAN" (which means "Korean") and three associated terms: HAN-gul (Korean alphabet), HA-llyu (Korean cultural wave) and HAN Tech (new technologies). It features both traditional and modern elements, including references to HANji (traditional paper) and HANok (a traditional Korean house). The public will also learn about Korea's close links to sport thanks to a photo wall showcasing 15 key dates, via still and moving images. A brochure entitled "Everything you always wanted to know but have never asked about Korea" will serve as a visit guide and will answer all your questions.

Passionate and connected Olympic Games (Galerie) Level+2

In a nod to the slogan of the Games, "Passion.Connected", a 3D multimedia feature whisks the public off to the various competition venues. Two simulators give visitors the chance to test their skiing abilities on the Olympic slopes in PyeongChang. Some of the symbols of the Games - the torches, medals, mascots and pictograms - are also given pride of place. The Games will be broadcasted on a big screen in this area of the museum from 9 to 25 February 2018.

Virtual Seoul (Art Lounge) Level -1 and various walkways

A brightly colored photo display from Françoise Huguier presenting the diversity of contemporary Korea provides an eye-opening exploration of the many facets of the Korean way of life, from young people’s K-pop to older people’s “colatheques”.

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From Ancestral to New Wave art

The festivities kicked off with Olympic Week on 8 October, with the artist Choi and his participative work "Happy Happy", made from plastic containers and representing the five Olympic rings. The "When Tigers Smoked Pipes" programme will be open to everyone during the Christmas and New Year holidays in a Korean Corner with build-your-own-mascot and Korean design activities. For the Games opening weekend on 9 and 10 February, the Opening Ceremony will be broadcasted live, and the Museum will be rocking to the beat of a Korean New Wave percussion show, Samulnori workshops and "Gangnam Style" flashmobs. And for the grand finale, the museum will be celebrating the Korean New Year on 17 and 18 February. Over the course of this weekend, the public will get to learn about traditional Korea, with a programme that includes crane dancing and workshops teaching Hangul, considered one of the most "scientific" alphabets in the world.

100 per cent Korean school programme

There is a special programme for schools, which involves a guided tour where pupils can learn about the Olympic Games in a fun, innovative way, getting to experience them as if they were there and exploring the culture of the host country. The experience continues with the "All Different, All Winners" workshop on the theme of living together in harmony. Find out more here.

Kimchi and sweet potato noodles at TOM Café

TOM Café is taking a little trip to Korea. A whole range of surprising and creative dishes are being added to the menu, including so bulgogi (soy-marinated beef), japchae (sautéed noodles with vegetables and prawns) and kimchi (fermented cabbage). And the restaurant is having a bit of a makeover specially for the occasion, with each table mat featuring a manhwa (Korean comic book) extract. Find out more and book a table here.

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White tigers and bears... at TOM Shop

TOM Shop is the only point of sale in the world (outside the host country) for official Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 merchandise. Many of the items on sale feature the two mascots: Soohorang and Bandabi. Aspects of Korean lifestyle are also showcased with a whole range of items celebrating "K" culture: snail slime beauty products, beauty boxes and a "K" clothing line. Find out more here.

And don't miss the blog!

To continue the Korean experience, check out the TOM blog, which will be providing its own Korean touch with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes info, and a whole lot more... https://blog-tom.com/.

Find out more about the PyeongChang programme at The Olympic Museum here.

Download the brochure here.

THE OLYMPIC MUSEUM
Quai d'Ouchy 1
1006 Lausanne
021 621 6511
7 December 2017 - 11 March 2018: 10h to 18h (closed Mondays)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.olympic.org/museum

Photo captions:

2 - Young Koreans take a selfie as they walk around Samcheongdong area wearing Hanbok on March 27, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. There has been a trend in recent years for the young Koreans to wear the traditional Korean dress, Hanbok. Wearing the traditional dress, they will walk around downtown Seoul on weekends taking selfies, and share their memories with friends on social media, and also to promote their traditional dress to foreign visitors.
Photo by Jean Chung/Getty Images

3 - JO Séoul 1988, Cérémonie d'ouverture - SON Kee-chong, le vainqueur du marathon de Berlin 1936, tient enfin sa revanche lors de son entrée dans le stade avec la torche durant la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux Olympique de 1988 à Séoul. © CIO