Hello!

I'm Nexon Picker 피스타임.

May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 1993, the day raises awareness of environmental issues

such as species decline and habitat destruction.

Nexon's MapleStory features a theme dungeon called Korean Folk Town,

which brings traditional Korean folktales to life.

It's a village filled with creatures that are closely associated with Korea.

I've put together a guide to the monsters you'll find in Korean Folk Town.

Korean Folk Town

Monster Guide

Here are all the monsters that appear in Korean Folk Town.

Their traditional Korean influences really stand out.

Let's take a brief look at each monster.

The Golden Axe and the Silver Axe

Dark Axe Stump

Dark Axe Stump also appears in other towns,

so it might seem a little out of place in Korean Folk Town.

Its connection to the setting is the axe embedded in it, which comes from The Fairy and the Woodcutter.

In the game, you give Axe Stump's axe to the Mountain God.

Instead of a golden or silver axe, as in the original tale,

he gives you another iron axe with subtle differences—a detail I found interesting.

Of course, Korea's trees are valuable living things in their own right.

Cutting down trees without permission, as the woodcutter does,

is prohibited today, so it's important to keep that in mind.

A Familiar Sight Every Chuseok

Rabbits and Moon Bunny

Moon Bunny is a monster you may also recognize from party quests.

True to its name, this moon rabbit brings Chuseok to mind.

Rabbits also appear in many folktales, including The Tale of the Turtle and the Rabbit,

The Rabbit and the Tiger, and The Rabbit's Judgment.

A Symbol of Korea

The Tiger

Hodori and Hogul are monsters inspired by tigers.

The tiger symbolizes Korea itself.

Although tigers have a reputation for being fearsome and powerful,

folktales such as The Tiger Who Repaid a Kindness show another side of them.

A Bewitching Fox

Nine-Tailed Fox

Samiho and Nine-Tailed Fox are monsters inspired by the gumiho,

a fox with nine tails found in folklore throughout East Asia.

In Korea, foxes are particularly associated with cunning,

which gives them a somewhat negative reputation.

Foxes are difficult to spot in Korea,

but efforts to restore the Korean fox population are reportedly making good progress.

A Creature of the Imagination

The Goblin

Goblins are creatures of the imagination.

According to folklore, objects such as brooms and pestles

can turn into goblins as they age.

They can seem like frightening ghosts,

but they are also portrayed as gods of abundance who bring wealth.

The adorable Moon Bunny is still my favorite.

Which creature do you like best?