Taeyoungho, on 'Moon returning Pungsangae' "Is maintenance cost more important than a symbol of peace"

Moon expresses intention to return two Pungsan dogs gifted by Kim Jong-un
"Was inter-Korean dialogue a show less valuable than Pungsan dog maintenance costs?"

Tae Young-ho, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party and a former North Korean defector serving as the ruling party's secretary on the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, directly criticized former President Moon Jae-in's 'return of the Pungsan dogs,' saying, "It revealed an intention that management costs are more important than the symbol of peace on the Korean Peninsula."

On the 8th, Tae stated in a press release, "The former President Moon's side says they will return the Pungsan dogs 'Gomi' and 'Songgang,' which were gifted by Kim Jong-un and raised by them, to the government because the Yoon Seok-yeol administration did not keep the promises made with them regarding the payment of breeding and management costs for the Pungsan dogs."

He continued, "The former President Moon's side shifted the cause of the relinquishment to the Yoon government, saying 'it would be fine if handled coolly,' which ultimately means they cannot raise them because of money," he pointed out.

According to the Enforcement Decree of the Presidential Records Management Act, the Pungsan dogs gifted by Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea, to former President Moon are classified as presidential records. However, Tae pointed out that a newly established clause at the end of March this year stipulates, "If a presidential gift is an animal or plant and it is recognized that another institution can manage it more efficiently, it may be transferred to the head of another institution for management."

Tae said, "They have raised the dogs for over four years since receiving them from Kim Jong-un in 2018, and common sense dictates that if there is at least minimal sensitivity toward pets, the person who has been raising them should continue to do so as 'efficient management.' President Yoon Seok-yeol said to former President Moon that 'it would be better for the person who has been raising them to take them,' and former President Moon accepted this, so everyone probably thought so," he criticized.

He also referred to Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung's remark that former President Moon is "a person with a strong sensitivity to life," arguing, "The recent return of the Pungsan dogs by former President Moon reveals an intention that management costs are more important than sensitivity to life and the symbol of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Ultimately, it admits that inter-Korean dialogue was a 'show' worse than the management costs of the Pungsan dogs."

Additionally, Tae rebutted Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gun-young's Facebook post, saying, "It is already legal to raise them in Pyeongsan Village, so I cannot understand what the objection or pettiness is about."

Yoon, known as a close aide to former President Moon, had claimed regarding the delay in the enactment of the enforcement decree related to breeding and management cost payments, "Outwardly, they boldly say 'take them and raise them,' but inwardly, the presidential office is obstructing the legalization of raising them in Pyeongsan Village," and added, "It is the government and ruling party that are doing petty and embarrassing things."

Earlier, former President Moon received two Pungsan dogs as gifts from the North during the third inter-Korean summit held in Pyongyang in September 2018. The two Pungsan dogs, Gomi and Songgang, gave birth to seven puppies. Former President Moon adopted out six of them, excluding 'Down,' and raised three. Then, the day before, he announced that he would return Gomi and Songgang to the Presidential Archives. The former President Moon's side claims that although the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in June that it would revise the enforcement decree of the Presidential Records Management Act to provide grounds for raising the Pungsan dogs, the presidential office raised objections, preventing it from being submitted to the Cabinet meeting.

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