A suspicion has arisen that former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his spouse installed a ‘dog swimming pool’ at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The allegation was highlighted by the noticeable presence of a long rectangular water tank with blue tiles seen in photos shared by Park Hong-geun, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, on his Facebook account.
Described as having step-wise depth with the deepest part reaching about an adult’s knee height, this installation was reportedly not present during the original construction works of the presidential residence in 2022. This has led to speculations about its purpose, especially considering the criticism surrounding excessive water usage at the residence during Yoon’s occupancy period. From April 4 to April 10, during which Yoon stayed at the residence following his impeachment verdict by the Constitutional Court, over 228 tons of water was reportedly used, significantly exceeding the water usage by typical households.
The former presidential office defended the water consumption as within normal ranges, comparing it to that of the previous Blue House residence. Additionally, some claimed that the considerable water usage might be attributable to a swimming pool discovered within the residence. While the possibility of using the pool during Yoon’s residence was mentioned, it was also highlighted that information requests regarding the matter were denied due to the high-security classification of the residence.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that during their stay, the former presidential couple kept six dogs and five cats at the Hannam-dong residence.