According to the 12 zodiac signs and five elements, 2013 is the Year of the Black Water Snake, an animal associated with longevity, fertility and good fortune.

Experts on Korean folklore say people born in the Year of the Snake are influential, insightful, motivated, intellectual, and determined to succeed.

Celebrities born in snake years include former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln; Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong; Park Chung-hee, a former president and the father of president-elect Park Geun-hye; incumbent President Lee Myung-bak; China's newly appointed leader Xi Jinping; U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke; and Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Park Tae-hwan.