South Korea issues Olympic banknote

The Bank of Korea announced in May of this year that in commemoration of the Winter Olympics 2018 which will be held in Pyeongchang from 9 - 25 February 2018 a special banknote would be issued. South Korea follows in the footsteps of China and Russia who also issued special commemorative banknotes celebrating their Olympic games of 2008 and 2014.

"The commemorative note is 140 millimeters wide and 75 millimeters long. The front of the note will feature athletes engaging in seven of the key winter sports events -- speed skating, ski jumping, ice hockey, curling, biathlon, bobsleigh and luge. The other side portrays a tiger and a pine tree, both believed to symbolize the nation, as in the famous “Songhamaenghodo(...)” painting by a leading painter from the Joseon-era, Kim Hong-do (1745-1806 (...)), who went by the pen name Danwon (...)."

The note was introduced from 11 December 2017 when the Bank of Korea issued 2.8 million 2,000-won notes. The notes are not intended for circulation so individual notes were packaged in a folder and sold for 8,000 won each. The bank also sold uncut pairs and sheets of 24 notes. As one might expect: they were sold out very quick but can be found online, for instance on eBay.