Will Korea shed its past during the Year of the Snake?

The shedding of a snake’s skin carries deep meaning — it is a symbol of transformation and renewal. Could this year be a year for Korea to shed its burdens of the past?

Kim Seung-jung

The author is an archaeologist and professor at the University of Toronto.

As theYear of the Blue Snake unfolds, I find myself reflecting on the symbolic meanings of the serpent across various cultures. In Western traditions, the snake is commonly associated with sin and temptation, largely due to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. However, just as the serpent in Eastern cultures represents longevity, transformation and wisdom, pre-Christian Western civilizations also regarded the snake as a positive symbol of wisdom, healing, regeneration and protection.

In ancient Greece, the serpent was a sacred creature wrapped around the staff of Asclepius, the god of medicine, symbolizing healing and medical practice. The snake’s ability to shed its skin made it a powerful representation of immortality and rebirth. In ancient Egypt, the serpent was a royal emblem. The cobra, often depicted on the a pharaoh’s crown, symbolized divine power and authority.

A serpent wrapped around the staff of Asclepius, the god of medicine. [JOONGANGILBO]

Across the ancient Mediterranean, the serpent was seen as a symbol of death and was a sacred being that traversed the boundary between the living and the dead. Python, the serpent guardian of the Omphalos at Apollo’s sanctuary in Delphi, was linked to the oracle and embodied the primordial power and prophetic abilities of Gaia, the earth goddess. The image of two serpents entwined around the Tree of Life, representing the life force of the universe, can be traced back as far as 2000 BCE to Sumerian civilization. This powerful symbolism of the serpent extended into Hindu civilization and later influenced Buddhist mythology.

In Korean folklore, serpents frequently appear in the form of imugiand dragons. The imugi is a serpent that strives for a thousand years to transform into a dragon, yet ultimately fails to do so. The tale of Yeonorang and Seonyeo, a legendary couple who crossed the sea, is also connected to the symbolic framework of the dragon. Meanwhile, the gureongi, or large serpent, is often depicted as a divine being capable of transformation, even marrying humans. Some interpretations suggest that Seolmundae Halmang, the mythical giant goddess who is said to have created Jeju Island, is associated with the imugi or dragons.

The shedding of a snake’s skin carries deep meaning — it is a symbol of transformation and renewal. Could this year, marking 120 years since the Eulsa coerced treaty, which introduced the Japanese protectorate system in Korea, be a year for the country to shed its burdens of the past? May 2025 be the year in which Korea, like a serpent shedding its old skin, is reborn into a new and transformed state.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.