Lee's panda push could signal potential boon for Gwangju and diplomacy

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Lee's panda push could signal potential boon for Gwangju and diplomacy

Published: 14 Jan. 2026, 07:00

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Giant panda Fu Bao, which returned to the Shenshuping base in China’s Sichuan Province, was put on public display on June 12, 2024. [LEE DO-SUNG]

Korea was heartbroken after sending away beloved giant panda Fu Bao in 2024. But there may be a new opportunity for fans of the adorable bears after President Lee Jae Myung asked China to loan Korea a new pair of pandas during his state visit last week.

During his four-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai last week, Lee said discussions were underway regarding China loaning a pair of pandas to Uchi Park Zoo in Gwangju, regarding the idea as part of a broader push for balanced regional development.

“We are in talks about sending a pair of pandas to Uchi Park Zoo in Gwangju as part of efforts to promote balanced regional development,” Lee said on Jan. 7.

Since 1949, China has used giant pandas as symbols of goodwill in its diplomacy with allies and competitors alike.

According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, the proposal was also raised during a state banquet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lee told Xi that pandas could serve as a positive symbol of exchange between the two countries, and repeatedly emphasized his hope that they could be housed at the Gwangju zoo, she said.

Following Lee’s remarks, the Gwangju city government confirmed it had submitted a report in December 2025 assessing whether Uchi Park Zoo could accommodate giant pandas. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the issue would be discussed further at the working level, noting that talks are still in the early stages.

A cuddly diplomatic gesture

Korea currently hosts four giant pandas. Ai Bao and Le Bao, along with their twin cubs Rui Bao and Hui Bao, all live at the Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi. The pair are also the parents of Fu Bao, who was returned to China in April 2024 after becoming a national sensation as the first naturally born panda in Korea. Panda cubs are typically sent back to China between the ages of two and four to join the country’s breeding program.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before their bilateral summit on Jan. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

China’s practice of lending giant pandas to foreign countries has long been intertwined with diplomacy. The Chinese government retains ownership of all giant pandas worldwide. As such, they are sent overseas on loans.

“Any giant panda exported for loan, and its offspring, should remain the property of the Government of China,” reads the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora regarding loans for giant pandas.

Samsung C&T, which operates Everland, pays about $1 million a year to China for each pair of pandas, with the funds directed toward panda conservation and breeding research. Baby cubs born abroad are also subject to one-time payment of up to $600,000.

Ai Bao and Le Bao arrived in Korea in March 2016 under a 15-year contract that expires in 2031, though that can be extended.

Twin giant pandas Hui Bao and Rui Bao spend time with their mother, Ai Bao, at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 12, 2025. [NEWS1]

Their arrival followed a joint summit statement issued during President Xi Jinping’s 2014 visit to Seoul, which included support for joint panda research. It marked the first time in more than two decades that giant pandas had come to Korea. In 1994, a pair named Li Li and Ming Ming arrived to commemorate the second anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and China but were returned early, in 1998, due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Fu Bao, born in July 2020, became the most visible outcome of 2014's declaration of cooperation between the countries. Ai Bao and Le Bao later gave birth to twins, Rui Bao and Hui Bao, in July 2023.

With discussions over a possible new loan still at an early stage, officials said financial details have not yet been discussed.

Asked whether there had been any discussions about Fu Bao returning to Korea, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said President Xi had remarked that he hoped “many Koreans will come to see Fu Bao” in China.

Pandas loaned to Korea by China [YUN YOUNG]

Why Gwangju?

The focus on Uchi Park Zoo reflects Lee’s emphasis on regional balance. Located in Buk District, Gwangju, the zoo is one of only two national base zoos in the country, alongside Cheongju Zoo in North Chungcheong.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung visited the zoo over the weekend to assess whether it could accommodate giant pandas. Zoo officials are considering designating a 4,300-square-meter (1.06-acre) empty site for a new panda facility, a project they say would take at least a year to complete.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung, center, poses for a photo with city officials after inspecting a site for a potential panda facility at the Uchi Park Zoo in Buk District, Gwangju, on Jan. 10. [GWANGJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

“Building a panda house would be a major project costing around 25 billion won ($16.7 million), and caring for pandas requires meticulous attention, from their diet and breeding to enrichment and play,” Kang wrote on his Facebook account on Saturday following his visit.

The Gwangju city government plans to change Uchi Park’s designation from a neighborhood park to a “theme park” under the Act on Urban Parks and Green Areas, a move that would ease restrictions on new construction and allow the city to seek private-sector investment.

Pandas’ strict habitat requirements, including temperatures of about 18 to 21 degrees Celsius (64 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit), mean the aging Uchi Park Zoo would need extensive renovations and a new facility. The zoo opened 35 years ago.

“We will proceed cautiously so that this goes beyond a simple exhibition and meaningfully contributes to animal conservation and international cooperation,” the mayor said.

Economic promise and political symbolism

The enthusiasm surrounding the proposal reflects the enduring appeal of pandas in Korea. During Fu Bao’s peak popularity, Everland recorded its highest-ever sales in the first quarter of 2024, a surge widely attributed to the panda’s draw.

Officials believe hosting giant pandas in Gwangju could generate similar ripple effects for the local economy.

But not everyone welcomes the idea. Animal rights groups have criticized panda diplomacy, arguing that pandas are endangered wild animals, not creatures meant to entertain humans or serve as symbols of goodwill between nations.

“Repeated loans and exhibitions under the pretext of breeding research do not contribute to preserving panda habitats or restoring wild populations,” said the group Korea Animal Rights Advocates in a statement.

“Instead, they reinforce a system that confines animals in artificial environments and justifies their commercial use,” it added, asking the government to fully reconsider the plan.

Le Bao plays in the snow at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 15, 2019. [EVERLAND]

At the same time, the proposal carries diplomatic weight.

Professor Choi Hyun-jin of Kyung Hee University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations said panda diplomacy could take on heightened political significance at a time when Lee’s summit with Xi produced few tangible outcomes in areas such as economics, diplomacy or security.

“In that sense, pandas can become a diplomatic strategy,” Choi said.

“Through Fu Bao, we came to realize just how large the economic impact of a single panda can be.”

“Even if a loan fee is paid, the ripple effects on the local economy can be enormous,” he added, noting that cities could end up competing fiercely to host pandas, given their combined economic and symbolic appeal.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]