Pogonini Laporte, 1834 is one of the tribes in Trechinae Bonelli, 1810 (Coleoptera: Carabidae). This tribe is morphologically similar to Trechini, Benbidiini, Zolini and Patrobini of the subfamily. However, Pogonini can be distinguished from the other tribes by having a combination of the following characters: apical maxillary palpomere fusiform; umbilical series of setae on elytron more or less contiguous (though sparse in middle); each tarsomeres with a median sulcus on dorsal side.
Pogonini includes about 85 species of 12 genera worldwide and is found in all zoogeographical regions of the world. Many species inhabit along the sea coasts or near salt lakes, and are recognized as halobiont.
In Korea, Paik (1998) reported Pogonus (Pogonus) itoshimaensis Habu, 1954. However, he added only the species name in the checklist without description or illustration although few specimens were examined. After Paik’s study, any studies on taxonomic status and distribution of Korean Pogonini have not been carried out.
The genus Pogonus Dejean is the largest group in Pogonini with two subgenera: P. (Pogonoidius Carret, 1903) and P. (Pogonus Dejean, 1821). These two subgenera share very similar external morphological characters; Pogonoidius has setae on anterior angles of pronotum and setae at 7th interval of elytra while Pogonus does not have them.
In the present study, two species, Pogonus (Pogonus) japonicus Putzeys, 1875 and P. (Pogonoidius) punctulatus Dejean, 1828, are newly recognized from Korea. A key to the Korean Pogonini species, redescription, distribution, photos of diagnostic characters, and illustrations of male and female genitalia are provided.