The emblem of Seoul 1988

Credit: IOC / Olympic Museum Collections

The Seoul emblem features a samtaeguk pattern. A samtaeguk is a traditional Korean pattern and visual image which represents Korea. This pattern is widely used as decoration on fans, gates of Korean-style homes, artefacts, and folk crafts. The Olympic emblem features patterns in two forms, centripetal and centrifugal; the centripetal motion represented the people of the world coming together in Korea, thus symbolising worldwide harmony, while the centrifugal motion represented a march onward in search of man's lasting happiness and prosperity.

(Credit: IOC. Click here for further information.)