Lawmaker looks after stray cats at Assembly

By Choi Ha-young

The National Assembly opened four outdoor shelters for stray cats on Jan. 4.

The structures were made after Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) rescued three cats from the parking lot at the Assembly last September. They were named “Democracy,” “Nuri” and “People” after the three largest parties: DPK, Saenuri Party and People’s Party.

The cat called Democracy was seriously injured after being hit by a car, and barely survived. Han proposed to Secretary General Woo Yoon-keun to install the houses for cats at the Assembly and Woo approved it.

“Lawmakers take many steps to protect social minorities,“ Han told The Korea Times, Wednesday, at her office. “If we fail to protect the weakest creatures here, it would be hard to say we can protect citizens.”

This is the first time cat shelters have been built at a governmental facility here. Han dreams of expanding their presence outside the Assembly, to regional assemblies and city halls.

“Further, it can awaken lawmakers’ sympathy to take more care of social minorities including the homeless and temporary workers around them,” she said.

Recently, the Assembly directly hired sanitation workers, but it has a long way to go to ensure stability for interns and reporters at National Assembly Television.

Animal rights advocacy groups donated the shelters and 200 kilograms of cat food. They will get them spayed and neutered in spring. Currently, cat moms ― party officials or secretariat executives ― are feeding the animals regularly.

Han is a member of the National Assembly Forum for Animal Welfare, composed of 39 lawmakers. A member of the Environment and Labor Committee, she is now trying to revise the Animal Protection Act in cooperation with activists focusing on animal breeding.

“As breeders produce animals recklessly, people buy pets without consideration,” said Han. “Then we have to deal with the social cost of abandoned pets.”

She hopes to build a virtuous circle as more Koreans become pet lovers. “If the price of pets increases by an authorization system on breeders, people will visit pet sanctuaries instead of shops.”