Atleast, that is what the mayor of the city is hoping he will soon come to represent.
This article reporting on the release of Haechi as the chosen icon for Seoul last year states that the mayor "wants Haechi to become like the Big Apple of New York, Merloin in Singarpore and Buddy Bear of Berlin." He even promotes referring to Seoul as "The City of Haechi."
So, as a lover of Korea's capital, I am now officially doing my part to promote Seoul's international image by presenting the lovable icon to you, my dear family and friends.
Cute, right? And who would ever guess that he is also a fierce defender of justice and peace?
In the picture below, I am posing at Gyeongbok palace in Seoul with Haechi's forefather, traditionally known as Haetae-- a figure from Korean and Chinese mythology that guards against disaster and injustice. He has the body of a lion with the horned head of a fire-eating dog. The particular Haetae pictured below was placed outside of the Joseon dynasty-era palace to serve as protector of king and city.
As you can see from the following images, however, Haechi has recently also taken on some slightly different and more varied duties:
Obviously, I am completely in love with the little guy; he is hands down the cutest fire-eating dog I have ever seen. I wonder where I could find myself a stuffed Haechi-- that's going on the to-do list for sure...
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