There is a new Korean drama out called 내 여자친구는 구미호, which means “my girlfriend is a nine tail fox”. The drama is currently being broadcasted by SBS and stars Lee Seung Gi (이승기) and Shin Min Ah (신민아). Shin Min Ah plays the role of a Gumiho (구미호). A gumiho is a legendary nine tailed fox in Korean folklore.

The gumiho is an old tale that is still being told today, but with different story plots. In fact, there’s a drama that just finnished that was titled 구미호 : 여우누이뎐 meaning “Gumiho : A Tale of the Fox’s Child” and an older drama called 구미호외전 or Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox starring Kim Tae Hee (김태희).

So what is it about the gumiho that captures the imagination of Korean people today? Well it might be the fact that the gumiho is depicted as a shape shifting figure. The typical story of the gumiho starts on the premise that its outer appearance is molded to that of a beautiful seductress. Then some unsuspecting man becomes enchanted with the beautiful woman, only to find out that the woman is really a liver devouring monster.

The gumiho was usually told as a cautionary tale about being tricked by external appearances; which when you think about it, is actually a moral that is just as relevant today, like it was centuries ago.