"Return Pubao While Xi Jinping Visits"... Animal Rights Group Holds Rally

"Pubao Should Leave Sichuan Breeding Base for a First-Class Zoo"
Protesters Also Chant, "Pubao, Come Back"

Members of the animal protection group "Pubao and Pudeok" are shouting "Pubao come back" at Naenam Intersection, Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the afternoon of the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

As Chinese President Xi Jinping visits South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, an animal protection group has held a rally demanding the return of Pubao to Korea.

On the 30th, 15 members of the animal protection group "Pubao and Pudeok" gathered in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, urging, "Please help endangered panda Pubao, who should be protected under the Animal Protection Act, return to Korea."

Pubao is the first panda cub born to Le Bao (father) and Ai Bao (mother), who were brought to Everland after President Xi's visit to South Korea in 2014. Pubao was the first panda in Korea to be born through natural breeding in July 2020. Much loved for its adorable appearance, Pubao left Everland and returned to China in April last year, in accordance with China's panda ownership policy.

The group demanded, "President Xi Jinping should provide tall trees, clean water, and bamboo shoots suitable for the panda's basic needs." They also insisted that Pubao should be moved from the breeding base in Sichuan, China, to a first-class zoo. The group plans to continue their protest in Gyeongju until the opening of the APEC summit on the 31st.

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