A South Korean survey of 4909 sites south of the Korean Demilitarized Zone conducted between April 1966 and November 1989 found it in 659 sites; it was not seen to appear in the Yeongsan, Sapgyo, or Anseong rivers.

[5] Coreoleuciscus splendidus grows to roughly 10 to 15 cm in length, with a long, slender body and a pointed snout; its eyes are small and horseshoe-shaped.

[6] Its head is greyish-brown in colour, while its back is darker and its stomach is lighter, often approaching white in hue; it also has a light stripe running along the length of its body on each side.

[5] It is often used for decorative purposes; feeding it sources of carotenoids, specifically spirulina or paprika, has been observed to improve the colour definition of its skin and fins.

[7] The 1999 South Korean film Shiri was named after C. splendidus; the fish appears prominently in tanks in the offices of the main characters, and one of the film's primary antagonists has a monologue which discusses the fish and the effect that the division of Korea has had on it.