The former presidential couple are in jail. But who's looking after their pets?

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and former First Lady Kim Keon Hee are seen together with their pet dogs in this picture released on May 29, 2022. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Following the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, the couple’s pets left behind at their home are reportedly being looked after by Kim’s aides. The couple were raising six dogs and five cats at the official presidential residence before bringing them all to their home in Seocho District, southern Seoul, after Yoon was removed from office.
 
The pets are currently staying at the couple’s residence, according to Yonhap News Agency on Sunday, and are being cared for by aides who previously assisted Kim both at the presidential office and at her company, Cobana Contents.
 

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Just before his arrest in January, Yoon expressed his attachment to the animals, reportedly saying he "had to see Tori" — one of the dogs — and spending around 10 minutes together. In May, when Yoon was briefly released after a court canceled his arrest warrant, he was spotted walking one of the dogs.
 
With the former presidential couple in custody — an unprecedented development — the Presidential Security Service has reportedly deliberated on how to manage the pets. Regardless of their detention status, the couple is entitled to protection by the security service until April 2035.
 
Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Presidential Security Act defines “security” as activities intended to prevent or remove harm to the body in order to protect the life and property of those under protection.
 
As pets are considered property under the law, some argued the security service was obligated to care for them, while others raised concerns that this would clash with public sentiment.
 

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen together with his pet dogs in this picture provided by the Presidential Office on May 27, 2023. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
With Kim’s aides taking over pet care, the debate has subsided. However, many of the aides are also under investigation by the special probe counsel.
 
Security at the couple’s Acrovista residence in Seocho-dong will continue. Security installations both inside and outside the home are also expected to remain for the time being.
 
However, bodyguards assigned to the house are expected to gradually withdraw, leaving behind only a minimal number of personnel to monitor for potential intrusions.
 
The security service also maintained surveillance at the home of former President Park Geun-hye in Samseong-dong after her arrest in 2017.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]