**Park Jie-won: “I’ll take care of Yoon’s pet dog Tori”**
**Kim Ung: “Adopt the dog abandoned by Moon”**
As President Yoon Seok-yeol was detained on the 19th, an out-of-parliament dispute erupted between rival parties over President Yoon’s pet dog ‘Tori’. The Pungsan dogs, which former President Moon Jae-in returned to the government (Presidential Archives), were also brought into the discussion.
Democratic Party member Park Jie-won appeared on KBC Gwangju Broadcasting’s ‘Yeouido Invitation’ on the 17th and said, “I will take (Tori) and bring her to Jindo.”
He explained, “A Jindo dog is loyal to its owner,” adding, “If Mrs. Kim Geon-hee also goes to prison, Tori cannot follow her owner there, can she?” He continued, “Since Tori has learned and been loyal to the bad owners, President Yoon’s couple, I will take her to Jindo and educate her to be loyal to a good owner.”
President Yoon has shown a special affection for Tori. Even before his arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on the 15th, he said, “I’ll go see Tori,” and spent about 10 minutes with her in a room on the second floor.
In response to Park’s remarks, former People Power Party member Kim Ung criticized them, calling the Democratic Party “frivolous and petty.” On the 18th, he posted an article about this on his social media, saying, “A frog doesn’t remember when it was a tadpole.” He retorted, “If you are going to adopt a dog, adopt the one abandoned by the person (former President Moon) who appointed you as the Head of the National Intelligence Service.”
Kim was referring to the Pungsan dogs, Gomi and Songgang, which former President Moon received as a gift from North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un after the inter-Korean summit in September 2018. In November 2022, Moon’s side returned Gomi and Songgang to the Presidential Archives, and they were moved to Gwangju Uchi Zoo.
Gomi and Songgang were classified as presidential records as they were gifts received by President Moon in his capacity as head of state. Moon’s side decided to return the dogs as the Presidential Records Management Act’s enforcement decree, necessary to receive custody of Gomi and Songgang, was not revised. In response, the People Power Party criticized Moon for abandoning them when he could not receive support for their feeding costs.