World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
South Korean teenager treated after cobra bite during attempted sale
A 14-year-old in Cheongju, South Korea, was bitten by a cobra on the hand while handling it.
He had kept the snake, identified as a forest cobra, after reportedly obtaining it through an online community.
He was flown to a hospital for antivenom treatment after local hospitals could not admit him, and his life was not in danger.
Police believe he was trying to sell the snake when it bit him.
The cobra is a designated wildlife species, which is generally prohibited from being kept or traded under South Korean rules.
Police are investigating how he obtained and kept it, and will decide whether to file criminal charges after examining the circumstances.
A 14-year-old student in Cheongju was bitten on the hand by a forest cobra while attempting to trade it.
The student was flown to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam for treatment and was reported to be out of danger.
The student had reportedly obtained the cobra through an online community and kept it.
Police are investigating how the student acquired and kept the snake and whether it was being illegally traded.
- Who
- A 14-year-old student.
- What
- The student was bitten on the hand by a forest cobra while attempting to trade it.
- When
- The incident was reported at about 11:25 p.m. on October 20.
- Where
- An apartment in Cheongju, South Korea.
- Why
- The student reportedly took the cobra out to sell it to another person.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A report said the student had been bitten by a cobra at an apartment in Cheongju.
The student was taken by helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam for treatment.
News reports said police were investigating the snake’s acquisition, keeping and attempted sale.
- Student's age
- 14
- Snake species
- Forest cobra
- Incident location
- Apartment in Cheongju
- Reported bite time
- About 11:25 p.m. on October 20
- Treatment hospital
- Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam
- Student's condition
- Out of danger
3 sources
What people are saying
The cobra is designated as an animal whose trade and keeping are prohibited under laws including the Wildlife Protection and Management Act. We are investigating its trade and keeping.