[Yongsan Report] Why the Turk Gave President Yoon the National Dog 'Alabai' as a Gift

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, having completed their state visit to Turkmenistan, greet the former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and his wife, the country's Supreme Leader and Chairman of the People's Council, who came to see them off at Ashgabat Airport on the afternoon of the 11th (local time), before boarding Air Force One, their official aircraft, to head to their next state visit destination, Kazakhstan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to three Central Asian countries, has become a topic of conversation for receiving exceptional hospitality from the top leader of Turkmenistan.

On the 11th (local time), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the supreme leader and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, who holds the highest power in the country, personally came out to see off President Yoon at the airport, which was not part of the original plan. Chairman Berdimuhamedow, who rode in the same vehicle as President Yoon on the way to the airport, continued an unfinished conversation about the direction of cooperation between the two countries inside the car. He requested active participation of Korean companies in large-scale projects to be carried out in Turkmenistan, such as plant and new city construction projects.

That day, the departure to Kazakhstan, the second country on the tour, was delayed as the friendly schedule between President Yoon and the Turkmen supreme leader took longer than expected. In particular, the Turkmen supreme leader and his spouse watched until the very end as President Yoon and his wife boarded Air Force One, waving their hands in farewell and showing utmost hospitality.

Before the friendly luncheon earlier, Chairman Berdimuhamedow also moved President Yoon and his wife by presenting a surprise gift. Having learned in advance about the international message of animal protection from the presidential couple, the supreme leader said, "I was impressed by the president couple's love for animals," and gifted the Turkmen national dog, the 'Alabay.' The Alabay is Turkmenistan's representative shepherd dog that has protected families and livestock; it is large and strong and plays an important role in nomadic life.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are enjoying holding an Alabai, the national dog of Turkmenistan, after a friendly luncheon with former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the country's Supreme Leader and Chairman of the People's Council, and his spouse at a hotel in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on the 11th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The gift of the Alabay from the Turkmen supreme leader is regarded as having special significance. Turkmenistan installed a 6-meter-high golden statue of the Alabay in its capital Ashgabat in 2020 and designated the last Sunday of October as 'Alabay Day,' a public holiday to commemorate it. In October 2017, when Berdimuhamedow was president, he gifted an Alabay puppy to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his birthday.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow, the son of the supreme leader and current president, implemented measures in July 2022 to restrict the export of Alabay dogs abroad and strengthen registration obligations. A presidential office official stated, "Turkmenistan, rich in resources but lacking technological capabilities, has a strong desire to develop downstream industries, and this gift reflects Turkmenistan's wish to achieve a win-win relationship with Korea."