A long, rectangular pool finished with blue tiles
The deepest part reaches about knee-high for an adult
Swimming pool cited as possible reason for excessive water usage at the residence
Allegations have been raised that former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife installed a 'dog swimming pool' at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.
On June 8, Hongkeun Park, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, posted several photos on his Facebook account along with a message beginning, "I just visited our proud President Lee Jaemyung at the official residence."
An aquarium facility installed outdoors at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Photo by Hongkeun Park, Democratic Party of Korea.
President Lee had invited members of the first and second leadership teams from his time as Democratic Party leader to the residence for dinner the previous day. Park wrote, "It was a gathering with those who worked closely as party leaders or key officials during the early stages of the first and second leadership teams," adding, "I felt reassured and proud to see that he remains as approachable and down-to-earth as ever."
He continued, "We encouraged each other for having done our best through difficult times, and pledged to use the authority entrusted to the Lee Jaemyung administration by the sovereign people properly to ensure a successful government," adding, "We also resolved to work even more humbly and fiercely going forward."
However, among the posted photos, a long, rectangular pool finished with blue tiles stands out on the lawn behind a small pavilion. This appears to be the 'dog swimming pool' that has recently become a subject of controversy. The pool is surrounded by marble-like stone, and the inside is filled with water. The structure gradually deepens in stages. However, since the pool is only 5 meters long and the deepest part is about knee-high for an adult, suspicions have been raised that it is intended as a 'dog swimming pool.' It is reported that this facility did not exist during the 2022 renovation of the presidential residence. Former President Yoon and his wife moved into the residence in November 2022, two months after the renovation was completed.
Previously, in April, suspicions were raised about abnormally high tap water usage at the residence during the period when former President Yoon was living there. Kim Younghwan, a Democratic Party lawmaker, presented data received from the Seoul Arisu Headquarters, pointing out that former President Yoon used over 228 tons of water in total over seven days from April 4, when the Constitutional Court delivered its impeachment ruling, until April 10, the day before he left the residence. This amount of water usage far exceeds the average for ordinary households, stirring controversy.
At the time, however, the Yoon presidential office responded, "The average daily water usage at the residence by season is 25 to 32 tons, which is within the normal range," adding, "We understand that at the former Blue House residence, 40 to 50 tons of tap water were used per day."
Subsequently, claims emerged that the excessive water usage at the residence was due to a swimming pool on the premises. In an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jongbae's Focus' in April, Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Kunyoung said, "I have heard that there is a small swimming pool at the residence," but added, "Former President Yoon and his wife did not use that pool." Yoon further stated, "We requested information from government ministries for a clear explanation, but our requests were not accepted." He added, "An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety told us, 'Although the president is not there, the Hannam-dong residence is still a security facility, so we cannot provide the data,' and unofficially told us, 'Wait for a change in administration and see for yourselves.'"
Meanwhile, it is known that former President Yoon and his wife kept six dogs and five cats at the Hannam-dong residence.
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