Rare Golden Eel Caught in Soyangho Lake, sparking Hope for Bountiful Catch
Soyangho Lake, Gangwon Province – A remarkably rare golden โeel ( Anguilla Japonica) has been caught in Soyangho Lake, captivating theโ local fishing industry and drawing attention from academic โฃresearchers. The revelation, made recently, is โconsidered an exceptionally fortunate event, with experts estimating the odds of encountering such a specimen at roughly one in tens ofโค thousands.
Unlike typical “Marvel Eels” which display black spots on a white background, this eel โฃboastsโ a unique golden coloration resulting from a โฃpartial absence of melanin pigment. Kang โฃHyun-guk, general secretary โคofโฃ the soyangho industry, stated, “I have caught fish in Yanggu โand Inje for more than 20 years,โค but I seeโ these eel for the first time.”
The 50cm eel is being transferred to the Chuncheon Gangwon special Self-Governingโ ProvinceS Inlandโค Surfaceโ Resources Center for educational purposes. Kangwon National University’s fish research center head, Choi โฃJae-seok, confirmed the eel’s rarity,โข noting, “The golden eel is extremely rare, with โฃonly one or two of tens of thousands.”
This isn’t the first instance of a golden eelโ appearing in Korean waters. A 70cm golden eel was caught in Jindo, Jeollanam-do in July, and another was discovered in the Han River โคnear Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-doโค in Octoberโ 2021. Historically, fishermen haveโ viewed these โขgoldenโค eels as โsymbols of wealth and prosperity – aโ “Gil-un,” โor auspicious sign.
The recent catchโ in Soyangho Lake is being embraced as a positive omen for a successful autumn fishing season,โ with the community hoping itโข signals a plentiful yield.