From Moon to Yoon... Ongoing Animal Relinquishment Controversy After Presidential Terms, What Is the Presidential Records Act? [News Seolcham]

Presidential Records Act Sparks Controversy
Returning Diplomatic Gifts to the State Is Standard in the U.S. and U.K.
Calls Grow to Avoid "Animal Diplomacy"... Criticism Over Treating Living Beings as Tools

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It has come to light that former President Yoon Sukyeol sent the Alabay dogs he received during his Central Asia tour in Turkmenistan to Seoul Grand Park. This has once again brought the controversy surrounding the Presidential Records Act regarding diplomatic gifts received by presidents back into the spotlight.

According to the current Presidential Records Act, gifts received by the president from foreign heads of state in their capacity as the head of state must be transferred to the Presidential Archives after leaving office. This regulation includes living animals and plants. As a result, the Presidential Archives decided to entrust the two Alabay dogs received from Turkmenistan to the Seoul Grand Park Zoo for care. However, the Presidential Records Act does not include provisions for supporting necessary supplies or expenses to the entrusted institution or individual within the budget. Therefore, Seoul Grand Park Zoo must use its own budget to care for the Alabay dogs it has received.

Former President Moon Jaein also experienced a similar situation immediately after leaving office regarding the transfer of two Pungsan dogs he received from North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jongun. After his term, Moon Jaein returned the two Pungsan dogs to the Presidential Archives, which then entrusted them to Gwangju Uchi Zoo, leading to controversy over the abandonment of the animals.

On June 11 last year, President Yoon Sukyeol and First Lady Kim Keonhee are seen enjoying holding an Alabay, the national dog of Turkmenistan, after a friendly luncheon with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, former president and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, and his wife. Photo by Yonhap News

Other countries also classify gifts received by high-ranking officials from foreign leaders as national assets and manage them accordingly. In most cases, however, there are no clear guidelines regarding management costs, so the institution in charge either bears the costs itself or secures additional funds to cover them.

In the United States, the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act was enacted in 1966 for diplomatic transparency. As of this year, gifts valued at up to $480 may be kept by the individual, but anything exceeding this amount must be reported to the relevant agency and surrendered to the state. Living gifts, such as animals and plants, cannot be privately owned and must be immediately transferred to a public institution. Animals are sent to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, or federal agencies, while plants are sent to botanical gardens or research institutions under the Department of Agriculture. Failure to report or intentional concealment may result in disciplinary action or criminal prosecution. A representative institution that receives animals gifted to U.S. officials is the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

A baby Komodo dragon named Caster, gifted to former U.S. President George W. Bush in 1990. Photo from the Denver Zoo website.

In 1990, former U.S. President George W. Bush was gifted a Komodo dragon named Naga by Indonesian President Suharto. Naga, which measured 2.7 meters in length and weighed 90 kilograms, was transferred to the Cincinnati Zoo, and Naga's 32 offspring were sent to various locations, including the Denver Zoo and the Indianapolis Zoo.

The United Kingdom also prohibits the private ownership of living gifts received from abroad under national record-keeping regulations. Most such animals are transferred to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) or local animal shelters, and in sensitive cases, the gifts are not accepted at all. In 1974, the giant pandas Chia-Chia and Ching-Ching, received by Prime Minister Edward Heath during his visit to China, were transferred to the London Zoo.

There is ongoing criticism about whether animal diplomacy, which involves gifting living animals, is appropriate. Since the mid-20th century, China has used giant pandas as diplomatic gifts or for lease to other countries, drawing criticism for using living creatures as political tools. Additionally, panda leases cost around $1 million per year, placing a significant financial burden on the recipient country's zoos. Canada and Finland decided to return their pandas in 2020 and 2024, respectively, due to the high rental and maintenance costs. Malaysia also announced last year that it would introduce "orangutan diplomacy" as a means of friendly diplomacy, but faced criticism for using rare animals as political tools rather than protecting them.