The Haetae is a scaled, horned celestial beast said to discern right from wrong. It belongs to the same lineage as the Chinese Xiezhi and the Japanese kaichi, and is pictured as a creature mixing the traits of a lion and a unicorn.
It was believed to govern fire and avert disaster, and so its stone statues stand before Gyeongbokgung Palace to guard it. In 2009 it was adopted as the official symbol of Seoul, where under the name Haechi it still serves as the city’s guardian today.