Park Jong-gyun, Gwangju Dong-gu Council Member, Proposes Dog Playground

Park Jong-gyun, a member of the Dong-gu District Council in Gwangju Metropolitan City, proposed the creation of playgrounds in line with the era of 15 million pet owners.

On the 13th, Councilor Park stated during the 301st regular session 5-minute free speech, "Regarding the establishment of dog playgrounds, there are many suitable sites such as the Green Road and waterfront parks," adding, "We must realize the value of coexistence through the transition to an animal-friendly city."

He continued, "The number of pet-owning households in Korea is estimated at 6.02 million, with 13.06 million people," and added, "In the past, pets were called 'aewandongmul' (pets) as a form of toys or playthings, but now they are referred to as 'banryeodongmul' (companion animals) and treated as family members."

He also introduced cases where other local governments have created dog parks and developed tourism courses to promote regional economic revitalization.

Currently, there are 32 dog playgrounds in the Seoul metropolitan area, 5 in Gangwon, 3 in Busan, and 2 in Daejeon, but there are none yet in Gwangju.