by the Center for Biological Diversity
Strange news out of North Korea: According to a highly suspect report from the state news agency, archaeologists have identified a “unicorn lair” in the city of Pyongyang said to have belonged to King Tonmyong, a figure who, legend holds, founded the ancient Korean kingdom Koguryo.
We don’t pretend to understand all the nuances at play here — is “unicorn” even the right translation of the rock carving outside the alleged lair? Still, we have to admit we’re intrigued. (Though there was no mention as to how such a lair had sat, undetected, in the city of more than 3 million for so long.)
North Korea’s state media has a knack for making overly bold statements. In this case, it has sparked a debate about language, mythology and the origins of Korea’s first capital.
