Gwak Ji-young♥Kim Won-joong Apologize for Pet Shop Adoption of Their Dog: "Embarrassed and Regretful"

Photo by Kim Wonjoong Instagram

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Model couple Kwak Ji-young and Kim Won-joong apologized for adopting a pet dog from a pet shop.

On the 28th, Kwak Ji-young and Kim Won-joong each posted an apology statement with the same content on their social network services (SNS). The couple said, "First of all, we apologize for hurting many people with the wrong words we used when sharing the news of our new puppy family with joy."

They added, "The dog Kuma, who recently came to live with us, is the first family member for both of us. Therefore, we should have been more careful, cautious, and responsible in researching and preparing. We feel ashamed and sorry for making an undesirable choice by opting for the easier option for the adaptation between the animal and us."

They continued, "This incident has become an opportunity for us to reconsider the weight of accepting an animal as family and the responsibility that follows."

Previously, Kwak Ji-young and Kim Won-joong said, "Although there are many abandoned dogs, as inexperienced people, we decided to adopt a dog from a pet shop for the sake of both sides, and the dog we brought home is 'Kuma.'"

This led netizens to criticize the couple's attitude, saying, "The 'abandoned dogs' you mentioned were also initially displayed in pet shops to look pretty and cute," and "Bringing a dog from a pet shop is just a convenient way to 'shop,' not a way to bring home a dog that adapts easily."

Below is the full text of Kim Won-joong’s Instagram post

Hello, this is Kim Won-joong.

First of all, we apologize for hurting many people with the wrong words we used when sharing the news of our new puppy family with joy. The dog Kuma, who recently came to live with us, is the first family member for both of us. Therefore, we should have been more careful, cautious, and responsible in researching and preparing. However, we made an undesirable choice by opting for the easier option for the adaptation between the animal and us, and we feel very ashamed and sorry.

We did not deeply consider this part, and through your criticism regarding adopting from a pet shop, we have come to realize the reasons behind it. We, who are lacking, wanted to take full responsibility and live together, but we should have been more cautious about the fundamental coexistence with animals. It is very heavy on our hearts and we are sorry that we approached this with the wrong perception. Also, we feel very ashamed and regretful that we did not realize these mistakes before you pointed them out.

We should have studied and made more efforts before accepting a family member, but we failed to do so.

This incident has become an opportunity for us to reconsider the weight of accepting an animal as family and the responsibility that follows. We will truly learn and understand much more in the times ahead.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for disappointing you. We will raise our pet dog Kuma with love and responsibility with all our hearts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.