"Pet Dog Conceptualizing" vs "Mocking Animal Owners"... What Do You Think About Election Campaigns Using Pets?

'Pet Support Relay' Sparks Ruling and Opposition Party Debate
"Using Speechless Animals Politically" vs "Helps Animal Rights"
Opinions Divided Among Dog and Cat Lovers
Some Call for Proper Discussion Beyond Promotion
Experts Say Political Discussion on Animal Rights Is Hopeful
"In-depth Policies Needed to Improve Human and Animal Welfare"

A poster of the 'Pet Support Declaration Relay' started by Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 1st / Photo by Go Min-jung, Facebook capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Is using pets to promote one's supporting political party or candidate an act that disregards the will of the animals?

Recently, a heated debate has erupted in the political sphere over 'election campaigns involving pets.' When Representative Go Minjung, co-chair of the Animal Rights Committee of the Democratic Party's Election Countermeasures Committee, launched the 'Pet Support Relay for Candidate Lee Jae-myung,' opposition parties criticized it, claiming it "does not respect animal rights."

Opinions are divided not only in politics but also among citizens. Some argue that using animals, who cannot communicate verbally, for politics and elections is merely exploitation, while others counter that if such promotional activities can highlight animal rights issues in politics, they are sufficiently positive.

On the 1st, Representative Go announced on her Facebook that she had started the 'Pet Support Declaration Relay.' This relay involves pet owners supporting Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung by borrowing their pets' names to participate in the support campaign. Along with photos of the pets, detailed explanations of their names, ages, and reasons for supporting the candidate were provided.

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, and Assemblywoman Ko engaged in a heated debate over election campaigning involving animals. / Photo by Lee Jun-seok, Ko Min-jung Facebook capture

Representative Go stated, "The reasons (pets) support candidate Lee Jae-myung vary, such as 'because he is a genuine worker who cares about animal suffering' and 'for more dog parks,'" and added, "Please leave support messages including photos, names, and reasons for support of your pets through the link."

However, the opposition immediately criticized this election campaign. They pointed out that using animals, who cannot communicate, for political purposes is inappropriate. In particular, on the 15th, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, sarcastically criticized on Facebook, "So far, we have been leading among voters such as self-employed, retirees, students, and housewives, but it seems candidate Lee Jae-myung overwhelmingly receives support from animals."

He added, "As party leader, I have no plans to instruct election campaigns targeting animals. People come first, not gimmicks."

He also criticized, "Pets have never expressed their opinions. Claiming to have their support is contradictory, and if those pets knew the fate of Haengboki, who was raised in Seongnam City, they might be more likely to become anti-Lee Jae-myung."

On the 16th, he reiterated criticism, saying, "Using animals as tools for election campaigns itself shows a misunderstanding of animal rights. There can be no expression of will from animals regarding the pet policies proposed by the Democratic Party." In response, Representative Go replied, "That party leader must be idle. Does he not know this is a presidential election? What people want to see is not 'Go Minjung vs. Lee Jun-seok' but 'Yoon Seok-youl vs. Lee Jae-myung' policy debates."

In 2014, Seongnam City adopted a stray dog named Haengbok. At that time, Haengbok took on the roles of a "safety guardian" and a "stray dog adoption promotion assistant." / Photo by Yonhap News

The controversy over the 'Pet Support Declaration' has also divided opinions among citizens.

A 20-year-old university student A, who owns a pet cat, said, "It is unacceptable to use animals for election campaigns regardless of their will while claiming to promote animal welfare policies," and criticized, "How can animal owners trust and support politicians with such irresponsible attitudes?"

Office worker B (31) said, "I think the message could have been conveyed sufficiently by the pet owners' declarations of support without using the animals' names. If it was an event to increase attention, it might be unavoidable, but at a time when many animals suffer from human abuse, it feels questionable to use animals at human discretion."

On the other hand, another 30-year-old office worker C, who owns a dog, argued, "The most certain way to raise animal rights is to make animal rights issues a major political agenda. For that, noticeable events like the 'Pet Relay' can be helpful," and added, "Although not perfect, many people are making efforts in various ways to visualize animal rights, and it is much more uncomfortable that someone like a party leader belittles these efforts as 'gimmicks.'"

Some voices called for mature discussions on animal protection and welfare enhancement rather than promotional use of pets. A 20-something office worker D emphasized, "Sometimes politicians have used animals for promotion but failed to follow up properly, causing controversy. I hope this animal rights debate does not remain superficial but leads to in-depth analysis and discussions on real measures to protect animals from abuse."

On the afternoon of June 23, 2020, our Pungsan dog 'Haetnim' is sitting at the Peace and Security Training Center in Yeonpyeongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon. / Photo by Yonhap News

For example, when candidate Lee was mayor of Seongnam City in 2014, the city adopted a stray dog named Haengboki from the animal protection group 'Kara.'

However, four years later, after being elected governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2018, controversy arose because he did not take Haengboki with him. Regarding this, candidate Lee explained on Facebook at the time, "The adoption of Haengboki was done by Seongnam City, not by me personally as mayor. Even if I wanted to bring him to Gyeonggi Province, it is not a simple matter because he is not personal property."

Subsequently, Seongnam City Hall returned Haengboki to Kara, and Haengboki reportedly stayed there before being adopted by a new owner.

Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in faced criticism among some dog owners in 2019 for distributing six puppies born to his pet dog 'Gomi' to local governments in Seoul, Incheon, and other areas. The puppies were sent to zoos and training centers through local governments, which could cause psychological stress due to dogs' strong emotional bonds with humans.

Regarding this, the Green Party commented, "Considering the nature of dogs to interact and form private relationships with humans, sending newborn puppies to zoos is anti-life and anti-animal rights," and pointed out, "Several animals lost their lives due to poor breeding environments, lack of expertise, and negligence."

Experts welcomed the increasing number of political parties and presidential candidates interested in animal rights but urged more active disclosure of policies for fundamental animal welfare improvements.

Lee Wonbok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Association, said, "Including the debate between Representative Go and Leader Lee, the recent introduction of animal rights policies considering 15 million pet owners in politics can be interpreted as a positive sign," but pointed out, "There is a need to announce more specific animal-related pledges."

He added, "Broad measures should be prepared regarding issues such as dog and cat meat consumption, which was a subject of controversy in the previous government, and animal abuse problems," and emphasized, "Most animal-related pledges focus on pets, but there are also many animals for food and wildlife in Korea. I hope a 20th president will be elected who can develop animal policies encompassing these animals and improve welfare for both humans and animals."

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