Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Call grows to rescue animals on Yeonpyeong
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Citizens are calling for measures to protect the animals left on Yeonpyeong Island, devastated by a North Korean artillery attack last Tuesday.
A netizen posted a petition at portal Daum’s Agora to urge the government to provide measures for the remaining animals on the border island in the West Sea and some 12,000 people signed the petition as of Sunday.
“Protecting the left animals is the least we can do to minimize the emotional damage of Yeonpyeong residents who will return to the island later,” the petitioner said. They asked for three major actions — identifying the kinds and number of animals remaining on the island, transferring those animals to the mainland and providing shelter and food for them.
The Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), an animal activist group, has already sent some officials to rescue the animals.
“We will transport the animals to Incheon,” a CARE official said.
The government officials admitted that they are unable to immediately save the animals due to other more pressing needs.
“We have not checked the number of animals left on the island. Some animals were abandoned by their owners, but we estimate that most of them are still locked in their pens,” a Yeonpyeong Island official said.