Democratic Party: "Not a Swimming Pool for People"
Yoon's Side: "A Water Feature for Landscaping Purposes"
Amid allegations that a "dog swimming pool" was installed at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, where former President Yoon Suk-yeol stayed, following a surge in water usage, Yoon's side has denied the claims as groundless.
On June 9, Kim Byungjoo, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory" and said, "(The swimming pool) appeared to be used by dogs," adding, "It was not a swimming pool for people. The area is designated for security personnel, and the size is too small for human use."
Jeon Hyunhee, also a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party and a former lawyer, stated, "It does seem to be a dog swimming pool," explaining, "The depth only reaches about a person's knee, so it is not for human use, and it is difficult to consider it for landscaping purposes."
The host, Kim Eo-jun, commented, "To me, it looks more like a dog bathing facility than a dog swimming pool," and asked, "Shouldn't this be subject to recovery as (embezzlement)?" In response, Supreme Council member Jeon said, "If the facility has no public purpose, there is a possibility that it could constitute embezzlement of state funds."
Facility of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, suspected of being a "dog swimming pool." Photo by Hongkeun Park, member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Facebook
Earlier that day at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Kim Byungjoo also raised suspicions, saying, "The deepest part of the swimming pool appeared to be about 50 to 100 cm. The length is only about 5 to 6 meters. For these reasons, speculation that this is a dog swimming pool is gaining credibility." He continued, "It is necessary to thoroughly examine whether the Yoon Suk-yeol couple installed a facility for personal use at public expense after moving into the residence, where budget oversight is virtually impossible."
Yoon's side has refuted these allegations as baseless. An official from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration told Yonhap News Agency on the same day, "The allegations reported by some media regarding a dog swimming pool at the residence are completely untrue," and explained, "This facility was built as a water feature for landscaping, to be used during outdoor events when foreign guests visit."
The official added, "This facility was installed in the summer of 2023, ahead of the visit by President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the fall. However, due to the Gaza crisis, the UAE president visited in May 2024, and the facility was used for a social event at the residence at that time." The official further explained, "There is a wide marble area next to the water feature, which was intended for placing tables so that meals or tea could be served to guests during visits."
The administration also denied suspicions that excessive tap water was used because hot water supply equipment was installed and the facility was used as a dog swimming pool. The official stated, "There is no hot water supply equipment installed at the facility," and explained, "During former President Yoon's term, the average daily tap water usage at the residence was 25 to 32 tons, which is less than the 40 to 50 tons used daily at the Blue House residence during the previous administration."
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