Oh Se-hoon Pledges to Establish Companion Animal Theme Park and Expand Playgrounds

A 120,000-Square-Meter Theme Park Planned at Imjingang Riverside Resort

New Annual Income Deduction Item Up to 1 Million Won Introduced

Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayoral candidate of the People Power Party, has pledged to establish a companion animal theme park in the Seoul metropolitan area and to expand playgrounds for pets.

Seohun Oh, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is speaking at the launch ceremony of the Seoul Party Headquarters Election Committee and the joint meeting between the Seoul Party Headquarters Election Committee and the Seoul mayoral candidate held yesterday at the People Power Party central office in Yeouido, Seoul. 2026.5.12 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On May 13, candidate Oh announced this series of "companion animal pledges."

Specifically, he plans to develop the "Seoul Companion Animal Theme Park" on a 120,000-square-meter site at the Imjingang Riverside Resort in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, by 2029. Within the theme park, a 5,000-square-meter specialized memorial facility will be built, which will include three cremation chambers, a columbarium, and memorial spaces.

He also intends to provide support for theme park admission fees and memorial service costs for vulnerable groups and citizens who have adopted stray animals. A representative from Oh's campaign explained, "The purpose is to support citizens who practice responsible care from the adoption of stray animals to their final moments, thereby promoting a more mature culture of pet companionship."

To bolster protection and welfare services for stray animals, the number of "Seoul Animal Welfare Support Centers" will be doubled from the current three to six by 2030. The centers' treatment and adoption functions for abandoned and abused animals will be enhanced, and they will also serve as bases for the "Maumnanulgae" program, which helps socially isolated youths and those bereaved by suicide find psychological stability through interaction with stray animals.

By 2030, the total number of dog playgrounds will be increased to 20, and new "pet gardens," garden-style spaces designed to stimulate dogs' sensory activities, will be established. The goal is to have at least one dog playground and one pet garden in each district.

In addition, to ensure that pet owners from vulnerable groups do not have to give up their lives with pets due to financial burdens or gaps in care, the number of designated public veterinary hospitals and emergency care facilities will be expanded in each region. To further ease the financial burden of raising companion animals, a new annual income deduction item with a limit of 1 million won will be introduced, providing tax benefits.

Candidate Oh stated, "Pets are now members of our families and are directly connected to our quality of life. Through comprehensive support encompassing infrastructure, systems, and culture, I will create a Seoul where both people and animals can be happy."

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