Jindo Dog 'Son Hongmin' Returns Home After 41 Days Away

'Gyeonsaeng' Missing at First Visit
20km Away in Straight Line
Returns Home After 41 Days, 'Surprise'

The story of a Jindo dog named 'Son Hongmin,' who went missing 41 days ago in a place he had never been before, safely returning home has touched many hearts.

The Jindo dog 'Son Hong-min,' who went missing in an unfamiliar place, returned home after 41 days.
[Image source=KBS news footage capture]

On the 9th, KBS reported that Mr. Yoon Jeong-sang (67), who lives in Daejeon, lost his Jindo dog 'Son Hongmin' at a Jindo dog exhibition held in a park in Moksang-dong, Daejeon, on March 24. Among the dogs Mr. Yoon raises, 'Son Hongmin' was especially handsome and smart, and since Mr. Yoon enjoyed soccer, he named the dog after the soccer player Son Heung-min.

At the time, the young Hongmin, who was 11 months old, got scared by the loud barking of other dogs, slipped off his leash, and ran away. Mr. Yoon immediately contacted animal shelters, the district office, and local residents to search for Hongmin, but he was unable to find him.

However, on the night of the 3rd, Mr. Yoon was surprised when he went out to his junkyard yard after hearing the barking of Jindo dogs there. Hongmin had returned home on his own after 41 days. The place where Hongmin was lost was somewhere he had never been before and was about 20 km away in a straight line from home. Hongmin’s body was covered with ticks and insects as if he had pushed through bushes, and his paws were wet. When Mr. Yoon called out, "Hongmin?" the dog wagged his tail and even cuddled up to him.

Mr. Yoon said, "Meeting Hongmin again feels like a dream. Thank you for coming home, and I will take good care of you for life."

Meanwhile, Jindo dogs are known for their strong loyalty and obedience to their owners and have excellent homing instincts. It is said that Jindos do not forget the first owner who showed them affection for a long time, which is why if they are raised as adult dogs rather than from puppies, they sometimes run away. Last July, a pet dog that was swept away by a landslide in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk, made headlines after returning home about 27 hours later.