No Legal Provision for Presidential Gift Care Expenses
Seoul Grand Park Must Cover Costs from Its Own Budget
Two Alabai dogs, the national breed of Turkmenistan, that were gifted to former President Yoon Suk Yeol will continue to reside at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
According to Seoul Grand Park and the Presidential Archives on April 18, the Alabai dogs 'Happy' and 'Joy' will remain at the zoo's kennel in Seoul Grand Park, rather than moving to former President Yoon's private residence at Acrovista in Seocho-dong.
Happy and Joy arrived in Korea in June of last year when they were about 40 days old. They lived for about five months at the official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan, together with former President Yoon's 11 other companion animals, before being relocated to the kennel at Seoul Grand Park Zoo in November of the same year.
The Turkic national dogs 'Happy' and 'Joy' moved to Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, last November. Provided by the Presidential Office, Yonhap News Agency
The Alabai is both the national dog of Turkmenistan and a representative shepherd breed. In June last year, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the supreme leader and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, and his wife, presented the two Alabai dogs as gifts during a state visit, expressing that they were moved by President Yoon and his wife's love for animals. The Alabai is a large breed that can grow up to 100 kg in weight and 80 cm in height at the shoulder. At the time, the Presidential Office explained that the reason for moving Happy and Joy to Seoul Grand Park was because they need to live in outdoor facilities with sand. Since then, the two Alabai dogs have been cared for by dedicated zookeepers.
After the dismissal of former President Yoon, there was speculation that Happy and Joy might be moved to his private residence at Acrovista in Seocho-dong. Under the Presidential Records Act Enforcement Decree, which was newly established on March 29, 2022, the Alabai dogs are classified as 'presidential gifts.' Article 6-3 of the same decree stipulates that if a presidential gift is an animal or plant and is deemed to be managed more efficiently by another institution, the head of the presidential records management agency may transfer it to another institution for management. Accordingly, management rights for the Alabai dogs were transferred to Seoul Grand Park Zoo. However, as there is no provision regarding care expenses in the relevant law, Seoul Grand Park will have to continue raising the Alabai dogs using its own budget.
A similar situation occurred when former President Moon Jae In left office. He had continued to keep two Pungsan dogs, which were gifted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018, at his residence. However, due to disagreements over the burden of care costs, which reached up to 2.5 million won per month, he eventually returned the dogs to the state. The Pungsan dogs were subsequently sent to Uchi Park Zoo in Gwangju.
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