Park Eun-seok Denies Allegations of Habitual Dog Abandonment: "False Statements by Unknown Person"

Actor Park Eun-seok, who appeared on MBC variety show 'I Live Alone.'
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Actor Park Eun-seok and his agency both denied allegations that he habitually abandoned his pets, stating that the claims are not true.

Park Eun-seok's agency, Hoonus Entertainment, stated on the 27th, "After verification, the allegations related to pets are completely false," adding, "While we understand that one must take full responsibility for their pets, the actor also feels sorry for not being able to stay with them due to unavoidable circumstances and situations."

They continued, "The claims that the animals were brought from a pet shop and the posts about beagles circulating in online communities are entirely untrue," explaining, "The pets were adopted through acquaintances and family rehoming, and the beagle mentioned was never raised by him. It is regrettable that false posts are being distorted as facts."

The agency also stated, "We will take legal action against false posts and slanderous remarks that are not based on facts."

Park Eun-seok himself posted on his fan cafe the same day, saying, "My pets are growing well. It is embarrassing to have to clarify false statements made by people I don't even know."

A photo of a pet that actor Park Eun-seok no longer raises, shared online. Photo by Online Community Capture.

Earlier, a netizen identified as A, who claimed to be a college classmate of Park Eun-seok at Seoul Institute of the Arts, alleged on social media that "Park Eun-seok abandoned a dog he used to raise."

A said, "A classmate casually said that his girlfriend didn't like the beagle, so he replaced it with a smaller dog. He appeared on the single-person household program (MBC's 'I Live Alone') saying he was raising two cats and a three-month-old puppy," adding, "I hope he doesn't perform acts pretending to love animals."

A netizen claimed on SNS that "Park Eun-seok gave up the dog he used to raise." Photo by SNS capture.

Subsequently, controversy flared over Park Eun-seok allegedly habitually abandoning pets.

Some fans who have followed him since his days as a theater actor also pointed out this issue.

Another netizen, B, said, "I don't know where the two cats that lived with him in the semi-basement went," adding, "He raised a toy poodle named Rozi in 2016, and in 2011, he had a Shar Pei named Isabella. There was also a large dog named Daisy and even a hedgehog. It looks like he repeatedly abandoned them after raising them for one to two years, which is scary." B also shared photos of the pets from Park Eun-seok's past posts.

A photo of a pet that actor Park Eun-seok no longer raises, shared online. Photo by Online Community Capture.

Meanwhile, Park Eun-seok, who gained popularity playing Logan Lee in SBS TV's 'Penthouse,' is currently filming season 2 of 'Penthouse,' scheduled to air next month on SBS TV. Recently, he appeared on MBC TV's variety show 'I Live Alone,' revealing his daily life with his pets.

Below is the full statement from Park Eun-seok's agency.

Hello, this is Hoonus Entertainment.

We are delivering the official position regarding actor Park Eun-seok's pets.

First, we thank you for the great interest and love you have shown toward actor Park Eun-seok, and we apologize for causing concern due to the current controversy.

However, after verification, the allegations related to pets are completely false, and we would like to clarify the distorted situation accurately.

The first dog in question, a poodle, was a pet that actor Park Eun-seok raised while living at his grandmother's house after returning to Korea.

Later, the actor became independent and, living alone at the time, adopted a large Old English Sheepdog and two cats. However, due to financial difficulties, he had to move into company dormitories, where pets were not allowed due to communal living.

Therefore, the Old English Sheepdog was rehomed after much painful consideration to a house with a large yard for a better environment. The cats were also rehomed under similar circumstances. An acquaintance who knew the actor's situation well requested to take them, and they were sent to that acquaintance. We have confirmed that they are currently healthy and well cared for.

Afterward, Park Eun-seok moved out of the company dormitory to a semi-basement one-room apartment. Since his grandmother was elderly and could no longer care for the poodle mentioned earlier, the actor took responsibility for the dog. However, because the environment was not suitable for long-term care, the poodle was later sent to a close relative's older sister, where it is still living well under her care.

Actor Park Eun-seok loves animals more than anyone else and understands that he must take full responsibility for his pets. However, he still feels sorry for not being able to stay with them due to unavoidable circumstances and situations at the time. He continues to maintain contact with relatives and acquaintances and interacts with the animals.

We apologize once again for this matter, and Park Eun-seok has conveyed that he will use this experience as a foundation to ensure such incidents do not happen again.

Finally, the allegations that the animals were brought from a pet shop and the posts about beagles circulating in online communities are entirely false. The pets were adopted through acquaintances and family rehoming, and the beagle was never raised by him. It is regrettable that false posts are being distorted as facts.

We would like to inform you that we will take legal action against false posts and slanderous remarks that are not based on facts.