||This article needs additional citations for verification. (May
2012)| A kumiho (구미호 / 구 "gu" - nine) Korean pronunciation:
[kumiho] (literally "nine tailed fox") is a creature that
appears in the oral tales and legends of Korea, and are akin to
European fairies. According to those tales, a fox that lives a
thousand years turns into a kumiho, like its Japanese and
Chinese counterparts. It can freely transform, among other
things, into a beautiful girl often set out to seduce men, and
eat their liver or heart (depending on the legend). There are
numerous tales in which the kumiho appears, several of which can
be found in the encyclopedic Compendium of Korean Oral
Literature (한국 구비문학 대계). Originating in ancient Chinese myths
dating back centuries, the Korean kumiho shares many
similarities to the Chinese huli jing and the Japanese kitsune.
All explain fox spirits as being the result of great longevity
or the accumulation of energy, with kumiho said to be foxes who
have lived for a thousand years, and give them