Superbly crafted works of art in their own right, the 2018 medals were created by the celebrated designer Lee Suk-woo, who incorporated Hangeul – the Korean alphabet and the foundation of Korean culture – into their design through a series of three-dimensional consonants.

These consonants stretch across the face of the medals to the edge, where they come together to spell “Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018”. As a result, they create dynamic diagonal lines that reflect both the history of the Olympic Games and the determination of the competitors vying for a place on the podium.

While the obverse of the medals shows the Olympic rings, the reverse features the name of the discipline and event, alongside the PyeongChang 2018 emblem. The ribbon from which the medal hangs is an equally important part of the design, and has been created using Gapsa, a traditional Korean fabric. The light teal and pale red ribbon are also embroidered with Hangeul patterns and other designs.

The medals range in weight from 586 grams for the gold to 493 grams for the bronze. In total, 259 sets have been made for next year’s Winter Games.

“I was very proud to be selected as the designer of these wonderful Olympic medals for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018,” said medal designer Lee Suk-woo. “To see them unveiled to the world is a wonderful occasion. I have worked on many projects in my career, but this is particularly special as they represent my homeland, a celebration and a lifetime of hard work and dedication for all the athletes who will receive and cherish them."

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics take place from 9th - 25th February 2018.