What is "seoksu"

Seoksu ( hangul: 석수, hanja: 石獸) is a stone animal statue in the image of a beast, placed at or within a tomb or palace. This kind of protective stone animal originated from the funeral customs of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Seoksu could also be placed in the pile of the stone and rubble used to surround the tomb and can be found carved on the bases of pagodas.