Dog Breeder Owner "Could Be a North Korean Infiltration Route"
Residents "Not Aesthetic and Safety Concerns" Report
Dobong-gu Office Issues Demolition Orders Twice This Month
A dog breeding facility located on a hiking trail in Bukhansan National Park, Dobong-gu, Seoul, is causing controversy. Although the Dobong District Office has ordered its removal, the facility owner refuses to comply, leading to growing inconvenience and public outrage among residents.
According to Yonhap News on the 30th, the owner of the dog breeding facility, Mr. A, who identified himself as a former soldier, claims that since the January 21, 1968 armed infiltration incident, this area could serve as a route for North Korean military infiltration, and thus he is raising dogs here.
Around the dog breeding facility, dog houses covered in dust and scattered trash are seen here and there, and beyond a locked barbed wire fence, signs reading "Danger! Beware of Dogs" are posted.
Amid controversy over a dog breeding facility located on a hiking trail in Bukhansan National Park, Dobong-gu, Seoul, the owner, Mr. A, claimed, "I raised dogs to prevent spies." [Photo by Yonhap News]
Nearby residents have expressed concerns about the safety and health of the dogs raised by Mr. A, as well as discomfort due to the obstructed views along the hiking trail, and also note that it is unsightly. It is reported that complaints have been filed with related organizations including the Korea Forest Service, which owns the land, the Dobong District Office, and the Bukhansan Management Office.
However, Mr. A insists on maintaining the dog breeding facility, stating, "I have been guarding this area for decades for national security."
In response to residents' accusations of animal abuse, Mr. A counters, "I am taking in and caring for dogs that someone abandoned."
Related agencies such as the Bukhansan Management Office classify this as unauthorized occupation and have been continuously demanding its removal.
A representative from the Bukhansan Management Office stated, "The Korea Forest Service is taking administrative actions under the State Property Management Act. We will cooperate if requests for structure removal are made."
The Dobong District Office has also issued removal orders to Mr. A twice this month. The district office demanded removal based on an ordinance prohibiting unauthorized livestock breeding throughout the district. A district office official explained, "If the removal order is not complied with by the end of next month, we are considering filing a police complaint."
Additionally, a representative from the Dobong District Office Animal Welfare Team added, "Although there have been multiple complaints suspecting animal abuse, under the Animal Protection Act, abuse applies to cases where tools are used to inflict injury or death, so it is difficult to apply it to Mr. A."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
