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Yoon requested official arrangements to accommodate pet dog, according to audit

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 10:32 Updated: 14 Oct. 2025, 10:43

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, is seen with his wife Kim Keon Hee and their pet dogs in 2023. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee requested official protocol arrangements for their pet dog during state visits to France in 2023, according to revelations made during a parliamentary audit.

"The former president and first lady made two trips to France in 2023 and requested protocol arrangements in advance after planning to bring their pet," said Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the Democratic Party during the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit on Monday.

“There were absurd demands, such as requesting space for the dog inside a hotel suite, designating an embassy staffer to handle the pet and providing a separate vehicle for the animal,” Lee added.

“During state visits, the safety and security of the head of state and the delegation must be the top priority,” Lee continued. “The fact that our public institutions were swayed by demands to accommodate a dog is disgraceful. Is the Foreign Ministry acting as Kim Keon Hee’s travel manager now? They had to prepare a kennel and escort the ‘first dog.’ It is deeply humiliating.”

In response, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said, “What I’ve confirmed is that the presidential office directly contacted the Korean Embassy in France without going through the Foreign Ministry’s protocol office.”

Minister Cho added, “We will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure this does not happen again and to prevent protocol officers from feeling professionally disrespected.”

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 JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]