Pet Dog 'Tori' Underwent 17 Surgeries Despite Euthanasia Recommendation
Often Introduced as 'Tori's Dad' and 'Nabi's Owner' on SNS
'Strengthening Animal Rights' Pledge Draws Attention
President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol spending time with his pet dog. Photo by Yoon Seok-yeol, President-elect, Instagram capture.
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Jung-wan] With Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, winning the 20th presidential election, a total of seven 'First Pets' have come into being.
President-elect Yoon and Kim Geon-hee live with four dogs and three cats. During his candidacy, Yoon expressed affection on the YouTube channel 'Seok-yeol hyung's Restaurant,' saying, "I wonder how I would have endured nearly the past 10 years without our dogs."
The most well-known pet, 'Tori,' is a dog adopted in 2012 after being introduced by an abandoned dog protection organization. It became famous after a photo was taken while walking near his home following his two-month suspension disciplinary action as Prosecutor General in 2020.
Although there were opinions from those around him that Tori should be euthanized due to a crushed fracture in the hind leg caused by a traffic accident, he reportedly had Tori undergo 17 surgeries to restore his health.
At the beginning of the election campaign, Yoon opened an Instagram account called 'Tori-stagram' to communicate daily life. However, after a statement supporting Jeon Du-hwan, a photo was posted showing Tori receiving a yellow apple, which drew criticism for mocking the public, and the account is no longer in use.
Tori also attracted attention for sharing the same name as the dog raised by the incumbent President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House.
August 11 last year, Yoon Seok-yeol President-elect's Instagram. President-elect Yoon is taking photos of his pet dogs. Photo by Yoon Seok-yeol President-elect Instagram capture.
Another pet frequently appearing on Yoon's social media is an abandoned cat named 'Nabi.' His Facebook profile describes him as 'Tori's dad · Nabi's caretaker.'
Under the post introducing Nabi, hashtags such as "Going to knead now" and "Adopting abandoned cats is love" have been used to encourage the adoption of abandoned animals.
Besides Tori and Nabi, Yoon also raises dogs Narae, Mari, and Sunny, and cats Agengi and Norang. He is set to become the president with the most pets in history.
Yoon has also shown his love for pets through his pledges. He announced plans to introduce a standard fee system to reduce veterinary expenses, strengthen facility and hygiene standards for animal sellers, and enhance 'animal rights.' He also promised to expand pet playgrounds and rest areas on public land.
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