There's a bug in Jeollanam-do that's, like everything else, considered good for stamina.

No, not "run a marathon" stamina, but "good for the man" stamina. From KBS, which always seems to have lots of interesting little stories, comes news that the Cultural Heritage Administration has named a type of beetle as a natural treasure because.

A buprestid, a type of beetle with a lustrous color, has been designated as a natural treasure.

The Cultural Heritage Administration recently announced that based on the latest studies by experts, the buprestids only inhabit certain parts of the South Jeolla Province. The CHA said it has tentatively reached a decision to designated the beetles as a natural treasure of Korea.

The buprestids are known for having the most beautiful color out of all the insects found on the Korean Peninsula. The CHA said the species' cultural and ecological values as well as their limited number were the main reasons why it chose the buprestids as natural treasures.

The larva of a buprestid is around 30mm long and a fully-grown beetle is around 30-40mm long. They have a distinct metallic luster. The buprestids lay eggs in broad-leaved trees including hackberry trees and silver magnolia trees and live on rotting tree trunks.

Traditionally, the beetles were used as an aphrodisiac in the southern parts of China.

The article's called "'Viagra Beetle' Buprestids to Be Designated as Natural Treasure," but, as you can see, it doesn't get into any specifics and in fact doesn't mention its medicinal value until the final sentence.

Jeollanam-do already has 877 designated cultural properties, of which 18 are national treasures and 44 are natural treasures. The Jindo dog, though, is the only animal or insect on the list, with most other natural treasures in the province being trees, breeding grounds, or areas used by migratory birds. And if I'm reading it right, it looks like Jeollanam-do has fifteen "cancelled" natural treasures. You can generate a variety of lists by playing around with the search engine on the CHA's English-language site, and can get a county-by-county list here. Suncheon has a whopping 106 designated cultural properties, a province high by a wide margin. Most of them are at Seonamsa and Songgwangsa temples and Nagan Fortress, although what's interesting is how many you'll happen across while wondering through older neighborhoods. That site is pretty Engrishy, though, and one of the most annoying habits on it is how it writes the names of the properties phonetically in "English" without using spaces. For example, using Songgwangsamyobeobyeonhwagyeonggwanseeumbosalbomunpumsamhyeonwonchangwamun to name a particular portion of a prayer book kept at Songgwangsa temple. In my experience the best source of information for cultural properties, at least at smaller sites you'll find throughout Jeollanam-do, are the plaques you'll invariably find in front of each site.

Because I don't want to devote a whole 'nother post to it, I'll just mention here that KBS also has another article about Jeollanam-do on its front page, this one about how Haenam county has posted signs directing pilgrims to its Ttangkkeut Village, located at the peninsula's southern-most point. In what's becoming a disappointing trend in KBS stories, the article doesn't mention who these pilgrims are or what they're doing or why they're doing it or even where Haenam is.

Haenam County recently warmed the hearts of Koreans by installing large sign boards along a pilgrimage route with words of encouragement for the pilgrims. A total of 20 signboards have been set up every 5 km along the route from the village of Ttanggeut, which literally means the "end of the earth," in the direction of Gangjin and Yeongam.

Haenam County's heartwarming project is a part of efforts to establish the village of Ttanggeut as the mecca of Korean pilgrimages. Each signboard bears motivational phrases such as "You are the symbol of new hope" and "May you, who challenge the impossible, have an iron will."

Pilgrims say that the signboards have been immensely encouraging and have contributed to adding enjoyment to their hard but meaningful journey. They also thanked the county for providing them with fresh drinking water along the way.

In addition to the encouraging words and fresh drinking water, the residents of Haenam County have also opened their schools and their civic centers as accommocations for the walking travelers and have even provided them with various goods.

As of August, some 3,000 pilgrims from 40 organizations have visited the Ttanggeut village in Haenam as part of their nationwide pilgrimage trips.

Seriously, after reading that I'd like to learn a little more about what's going on. I had to chuckle about Haenam becoming the "mecca" of pilgrammages---no doubt an Islam-free Mecca---in the familiar spirit of hyperbole and exaggeration, and at the phrases like "May you, who challenge the impossible, have an iron will" that appeared in the article. The phrase written on the signboard in the article's picture? 여러분 화이팅! Navering "국토 종단" tells me that people are travelling across the country, but for what purpose I have no idea. Another signboard: