By Hyonhee Shin
SEOUL (Portal) – South Korea’s former President Moon Jae-in said on Monday he plans to give up a pair of dogs sent as gifts by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after his 2018 summit, citing a lack of support from his successor.
Moon has raised the white Pungsan dogs named “Gomi” and “Songgang” since they arrived in the South and brought them to his personal residence after his tenure ended in May.
The dogs are legally classified as government property of the Presidential Archives, but Moon’s office said he was entrusted as their caretaker after consulting with the archives and the Home Office, an unprecedented decision.
The agencies had requested a change in the law to make the move easier, including financial support. However, those efforts failed due to “inexplicable opposition” from the administration of incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol, Moon’s office said.
“The Office of the President appears opposed to entrusting former President Moon with the management of the Pungsan dogs,” Moon’s office said on Facebook.
“If that’s the case then we can take it calmly as such a trust is based on the goodwill of both parties… although it’s unfortunate to end it given these are pets that he’s become accustomed to.”
Yoon’s office denied foiling the move, saying authorities were still discussing it and it didn’t matter.
The Chosun Ilbo daily, citing unnamed government and parliament officials, reported earlier Monday that there had been a debate over whether to give Moon monthly subsidies totaling about 2.5 million won ($1,800).
The Interior Ministry, which oversees the presidential archives, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An official at the Department of Government Legislation said it had not opposed the idea and that discussions are ongoing.
($1 = 1,401.8300 won)
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Lincoln Feast)