North Korean 'peace' dogs cause political spat in South Korea
By Heather Chen, Jake Kwon and Yoonjung Seo, CNN
Updated 1:23 AM EST, Tue November 08, 2022
Moon Jae-in pets Pungsan dog Gomi in Seoul, South Korea in 2018.
Seoul, South Korea(CNN)A pair of dogs gifted by North Korea are the center of a political dispute in South Korea after the country's former President said he was giving them up over an apparent lack of legal and financial support from his successor to care for the animals.
The two white Pungsan hunting dogs, Gomi and Songgang, were presented to then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at peace talks in 2018.
The dogs have lived with Moon ever since, including after he was succeeded as President by Yoon Suk Yeol in May -- even though they are legally owned by the state.
Korean leader Kim Jong Un at peace talks in 2018.
The dogs have lived with Moon ever since, including after he was succeeded as President by Yoon Suk Yeol in May ㅡ even though they are legally owned by the state.
Dogs have historically been a symbol of thawing ties between the Koreas. In 2000, Kim Jong Il gave two Pungsan puppies -- named Uri and Duri -- to Kim Dae-jung. The South Korean leader returned the favor with two Jindo dogs named Peace and Reunification.