South Korea’s former president to give up pet dogs as costs bite
SOUTH KOREA’S former president is being forced to give up the pet dogs given to him by Kim Jong-un amid a row over who pays for their upkeep.
Moon Jae-in has continued to care for Gomi and Songgang, two white pungsan dogs, and one of their puppies, at his home after leaving office in May.
Mr Moon was given the animals, which are legally considered state property belonging to the presidential archives, by the North Korean leader after a summit in 2018.
He now has to surrender the pets because of a dispute with the South Korean government over the cost of their upkeep that local media said was about £1,560 a month.
Mr Moon’s office blamed “unexplained opposition” from Yoon Sukyeol, South Korea’s president, for the decision to hand the dogs over.
“The presidential office seems to be negative toward entrusting the management of the pungsan dogs to former president Moon,” his office.
“If that’s the case, we can be cool about it, as such an entrustment is based on the goodwill of both sides ... though ending it is regretful given they are companion animals he grew attached to.” His office said that Mr Moon was entrusted as the dogs’ caretaker after consultations with the archives and interior ministry, which reportedly said they could be paid for from the state budget.
The Chosun Ilbo daily reported, citing unnamed government and parliamentary officials, that there was debate over whether to provide Mr Moon with monthly subsidies for the dogs.
Mr Yoon, who has four dogs and three cats, has denied being involved. His office said discussions were continuing between the concerned agencies.
An official at the ministry of government legislation said that it had not opposed the idea and the discussions were ongoing.
The dogs’ fate has caused concern among social media users in Seoul.
The male and female dogs were given to Mr Moon as a sign of warming relations after a third summit with Mr Kim in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang
Songgang, the male, and Gomi, the bitch, had seven puppies during Mr Moon’s presidency. Mr Moon kept one of the puppies, which lives with him and its parents at his private residence.
The breed is originally from the Pungsan area of North Korea.
The hunting dog has a thick white coat, pointy ears and dark eyes and is known for loyalty and intelligence.
In 2020, Kim Jong-un banned pet ownership, including dogs, which have long been associated with capitalism in North Korea.
The dictator said keeping pets was a symbol of “Western decadence” and tainted by “bourgeois ideology”.
It was reported that pet owners were forced to give up their dogs to be turned into food in restaurants to ease a shortage in supplies caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Dogs are eaten in North and South Korea, where they are farmed for meat.