Gongju’s lost mascot, Goma Bear, found 11 days after swept away in flood

Still smiling and waving a friendly hand, Gongju City's beloved mascot, Goma Bear, was found safe and sound Wednesday, 11 days after it was swept away by severe flooding, the Gongju city government said Thursday.

The bear sculpture, originally stationed on the South Chungcheong Province city's Mireu Island in the Geum River, had gone missing on July 15, when the region experienced massive river flooding due to heavy downpours. Gongju received a total of 509.5 millimeters of rain between 12:00 a.m. on July 13 and 6:00 p.m. on July 15.

The park where the sculpture was found is approximately 1.5 kilometers away from where the bear originally stood.

An official from the Gongju city government said it plans to return Goma Bear to its original location later this week.

The 2-meter tall bear sculpture was crafted in 2015, drawing inspiration from Korean folk tales and historical relics.

Korea's founding myth features a bear that lived in a cave for 100 days eating mugwort and garlic in an attempt to become human. The bear turns into a woman who later gives birth to a son, Dangun, the legendary forefather of the Korean people.