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If you have ophidiophobia look away now.
But if you don’t fear these slithering reptiles carry on reading to learn about what type of snakes you can find in Korea, some folklore about snakes, and which snake poses the most risk.

If you believe in the creation story then Snakes have been around since the dawn of creation. Throughout most western cultures Snakes have had a bad rep. Portrayed as cunning and vindictive in the Christian tradition, they’ve symbolized evil since life began. As you already know, all this stemmed from the time when the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since then in many western cultures some people have grown up thinking snakes are inherently bad.
However, this is not the case in other parts of the world. In other cultures, people venerate snakes. Take for example, Mucalinda, who guarded and protected Buddha during his enlightenment. And In Hindusim snakes symbolize transformation and healing.
If you want to level up your Korean and learn more folk tales take a look at the book: Korean Stories For Language Learners.

“Gimnyeongsagul.”
In Korea, there is an interesting folklore called, “Gimnyeongsagul.” It’s a good story to see how snakes are viewed in Korean culture.
The author sets the story near a vast cave called Baemgul on the island of Jeju. It’s a thing of legend, but also deep sadness.

Each year the locals had offered a human sacrifice to the snake. The sacrifice was always a fresh-faced maiden. A youthful woman who predominantly came from a lower social standing. This was because the locals perpetually feared for their livelihoods. They knew that missing one sacrificial offering would end in misery for all the villages. The guile, yet imposing snake would slither out and destroy their yearly crop yields one by one, until there was nothing left. This would be bad for everyone. Great famines would ensure, and that meant certain death.
As months passed into years, it became apparent to the educated elites that this deathly ritual was not rational. It had to end. Seo Ryeon, a respected Judge in a local village, felt like it was his duty to stop this senseless slaughter. He devised a plan. The method would involve sweets and a sword. He would strike the serpent with an enormous wallop and crush the serpents head into a pulp.

As Seo Ryeon concocted his elaborate plan he mentally prepared himself for battle. He new it wouldn’t be as easy as walking up to the cave and striking the snakes head off. He had to be smart. He picked his day and prepared his tactics.
Ryeon and his comrades chalked out a way to deceive the blood thirsty snake. They thought long and hard, and finally came up with an idea that they thought might just work.
So the date was set. And during a hot summers day the wheels began moving. Their plan went like this. First they would drape Korean delicacies across the opening of the cave. They would then dangled a poor maiden down from the cliffs edge, which they had calculated to be just out of reach from the snake as it coiled and sprang. And finally when the snake slithered out from the darkness and into the light they would bring down punishing blows until they butchered it. Simple, yet effective.
With the plan in motion the maiden wiggled and gasped, her terror was accumulated with the pain of being tied up and hanging over the edge of a rocky cliff. Her mind was circulating with thoughts of not knowing when she would meet her fate. So this was the moment, she thought. These 16 years of life on earth had accumulated to being a snakes meal. A sorrowful look radiated from her face. She withered in fear, but to no avail.
With spears and swords at the ready, Seo and his fellow soldiers hid in the long grass. They waited, and as time grew closer they saw the fear on each others face. The soldiers sweat dripped onto their glistening spears with an echoing thud. One by one they gripped their weapons tighter and narrowed their focus into the murk that enveloped the entrance to the cave.
It was a little tremor at first that startled the soldiers, but then the sound grew and the whole ground shook like never before. The snake was slowly appearing. Its vivid yellow eyes showed first. They radiated like the sun from the the darkness of the cave. The soldiers gasped as they saw its gigantic head slowly filling the caves mouth. The snake raspingly slithered out from the deathly darkness and stretched its long forked tongue until it felt the fear and dripping sweat from the young maiden as she still wiggled with fright. With a huge violent thrust the snake sprang forward, and with its mouth wide open it fell directly upon the drinks and sweets. In a split second the soldiers had seen the snake devour everything they offered. It had looked impenetrable. They looked on in disbelief. The snake then looked around and fixed its mesmerizing eyes on the maiden. The men and the snake knew that on this day that the villages had to pay in blood. The merciless serpent smashed its tail down into the soft clay with delight. Its mouth stretched wide open again. Its head cocked back, and its muscles rigidly contracted in anticipation for a deathly strike. The soldiers bodies froze. Their feet were glued to the spot in fright. With no apparent danger in the snakes path it sprang at the girl like a 1000m coil that had been wound and let loose. But just before the snake took a bite Seo jumped off the cliff and struck down with a tremendous blow. He had been waiting.
The snake was dead.
A local Shaman emerged from behind Seo. He warned Seo and his soldiers that they must return to the security of Jeju fortress and never look back. The cohort galloped back to the vicinity of the castle, but just before one of Seo’s soldiers cried out in fear. The sky had now turned a blood red. Surely, the solider thought, the serpent was coming to take its revenge.

Seo looked back with a look of disbelief. He reached out and scorned his solider for telling lies. The serpent was dead he exclaimed. He had felt the scales and bones crack with his mighty blow. His eyes, he thought, didn’t lie.
But to Seo’s amazement the solider was telling the truth. Just as the Shaman had warned not to do, Seo did. He looked back.
In an instant he and his comrades dropped dead. The snake had taken its revenge.
To this day, legend has it that snakes are abundant on Jeju Island from the rain that crashed down that evening.
This story is a myth of legend, but what it shows is that snakes were feared in Korea.
What’s more, a little over 10 years ago in Korea, and maybe still now, it was considered healthy to consume snake in the summer. People believed enhanced one’s virility. Snake poaching and smuggling are now punishable under Korean law, so you are unlikely to see it on a restaurant menu. But I realise that Koreans still revere snake as a superfood as people believe it enhances one’s energy.
Snakes in Korea

With over 3,000 species across the world, one on every continent except a few countries like Ireland, these slithering reptiles are abundant.
In Korea, you can find over 20 species of snakes. I’ve stepped on one while I was hiking. Thankfully, it wasn’t a Mamushi pit viper-the most venomous snake in Korea.
Where to find snakes in Korea
If you are wild enough to go out looking for snakes, you can find them in abundance in the mountains that line Korea. You can also find them in swamps, rocky hillsides, meadows, and open woodland.
Snakes are cold-blooded so you are likely to find them under objects that are excellent conductors of heat such as logs and rocks.
Types of snakes in Korea
Viperidae
Viperidaes are the most poisonous snakes in Korea. Six species of this snake roam the Korean wilderness, including the Mamushi pit viper. This the most poisonous snake in Korea. The pit vipers venom is mostly made up of haemolytic toxins which cause the tissue to liquefy- potentially fatal. Although bites are very rare, it is still it’s good to know what it looks like so you can stay clear of this one. Look at the snake facts website for an accurate description.
Colubridae
The snakes that slither around in Korea usually belong to this species. For example, the Asian Keelback is plentiful in Jeju. Other snakes such as the beauty rat snake and the slender race snake also belong to this species. These snakes pose little danger, as their bite is non venomous. But there is one exception. The Asian Keelback. Like the pit viper, bites from this snake are poisonous but rare.
Elapidae
A few sea snakes belong to this specious such as the annulated sea snake. The snake is venomous but rarely attacks. It mainly feeds on various groups of fish.
Wrap up
Snake bites are very rare in Korea. Unless you go swimming in the tall grass or turn over every rock on a mountainside, you’re unlikely to encounter one. When I nearly stepped on one, it was because I had gone off the beaten path and started scrambling up a hillside.
If you have any pictures or stories of snakes you have seen or encountered in the Korean wilderness, please leave me a comment or email. I would love to share your story and add it to the post.
I’ve seen the most snakes near Gurye in Jeollanam-do, especially by Yongseo Falls. The brown snakes there are poisonous. I learned this from people I met at the local minbak/restaurant, who had a friend bitten and went to the hospital. I immediately noted this on a rock climbing page website where I had posted the area, and nevertheless a foreign climber was bitten soon afterwards (picking up a snake!!) and had to go to the hospital. Both had swift recoveries (from what I was told). I’ve lived in Korea over 16 years, am outside all the time, and I’ve seen maybe 50-60 snakes?
so which is the best place in South Korean that you can walk freely ??
I was walking on Namsan in Seoul when a thin, fast, solid golden or copper-colored snake slithering on the road. I tried to video it on my phone but it was so fast I only caught a bit. It was about three feet long, with a small head. When a bus turned the corner, the rumbling sent it down into a roadside storm grate and, when the bus passed, it stood straight up and flopped down on the grass and slithered up a hill and disappeared. I have never been able to identify what it might have been, living in a park right in the middle of the city (maybe someone’s onetime pet?). Do you have an ideas? I’ve looked for so long…
Oh, I’m not too sure. I had a similar encounter when I went hiking up a nearby mountain. When the snakes slither away really fast they are difficult to identify. I will ask around and speak to some locals, they might have a good idea. 🙂
How do snipers avoid getting bitten by dangerous animals when they’re lying down?
Donnie Harold Harris
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Updated 9:12 am
Lived in Seoul
One Day, on a rest break while on a remote mountain range, on patrol of the Border area between North and South Korea, I laid back on my backpack which included a large radio. After a few minutes, a poisonous snake crawled 5 or so inches from my Face, Coming high down over to me over from the top of my radio. After I was out of Harm’s way I jumped up and Pulled my 45 out. I loved to have a job where I got to pack a colt 45. a Radio operator was one of them as being on the Law crew had been. A fellow Radio Operator for one of the Platoon LTs. Platoon leader ( I was the current Radio operator for the company commander) had been watching it approach me, came from behind me hit it with the butt of his m16. We were on top of a mountain range waiting for the company commander to return from the command visit. All the Company was up at a higher location and we were to walk up with the CO to there location. I instantly had an Idea as we saw the captain returning down at the bottom of the mountain in a jeep, walking up our way. I took the snake and laid it on the trail where he would walk by. As he came up the mountain I walked down to meet him. I was his radio operator of an Infantry Company Commander. This is the cream of the crop. I was an expert marksman. I was on the team of sharpshooters. He was a West Point graduate. As he came up the trail To meet me we came upon the snake between us. A mamushi. I pulled my 45 and took off its head with one shoot. I did not think the captain would react as he did. Next thing I knew I was being interviewed to go to west point. Now That was scarier than the snake. Jobs I had in the Army. Infantry, 1/3 of a law crew (handheld missile), radio operator, (Apc) Armor personnel carrier Driver camp Benning. What an experience this was. How about the time I meet up
Today we were playing in a stream near Yeongjeong reservoir when we encountered a rock mamushi that appeared to have fallen from a tree. An adult bird flew away and the snake had a smaller bird in its mouth. High above us was a birds nest so our hypothesis was that the snake (supposedly they are excellent tree climbers) had snatched a baby bird from the nest, the parent attacked and they all fell down. We then proceeded to watch the snake eat the bird which was quite large for the little snake head and took a while. It then slithered into a hiding spot in the side of the stream bank. We took tons of pictures and video and it was a very cool thing to witness in nature.
[…] Korea, there are over 20 species of snakes that fall into three types: Viperidae (the most poisonous), Ela… Since you are likely unfamiliar with the 20 species of snakes in South Korea (many of which are […]
Today(21st August 2023) we had a snake encounter about 150 m up the climb to the volcano .
It’s slightly off the beaten track and unlike the rest of the park which is decked for walking this is a bit more of a scramble over wet boards and sometimes sacking.
After about 150 m we spotted a snake in our path only 5 cm away or so , then another then another.
They didn’t seem to bothered but after a few seconds two of them turned and started heading back towards us.
We decided to just head back down as my wife was a bit nervous !
Great to see them in the wild but where there’s three there’s probably another dozen or so !
If the website administrator would like a video of the incident please email me !