As December fades into January, I find myself returning to a familiar assignment — one I first picked up as a Culture Desk reporter and now continue as an editor. It’s time to write once again about the New Year’s zodiac animal and what it supposedly means for all of us.

To be honest, this task has become more a habit, driven by inertia. The outline is always there: A ready-made topic, a cultural framework that many readers share and an annual excuse to talk about traditions that survive because they stay useful, not because they stay factual.

Still, every year, a quiet question lingers in the back of my mind: Do we really believe this? That all people born 12 years apart share a distinct set of personality traits based on the animal assigned to their birth year?

In 2026, that animal is the horse. In Korean tradition, the horse stands for more than just speed or........

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