Yoon faces backlash over alleged ‘dog pool’ at official residence

A photo posted by Rep. Park Hong-keun of the Democratic Party of Korea shows the garden inside the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, where a shallow pool, alleged to be a “dog pool,” is visible. Captured from Park’s Facebook account

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing allegations that he and his wife installed a private swimming pool for their pet dogs at the official presidential residence in Hannam-dong during his time in office.

Yoon and his wife raised several pet dogs at the official residence, and water usage at the residence began to surge in June 2023, about six months after they moved in.

Rep. Park Hong-keun of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) reignited the controversy on Sunday by sharing several photos taken at a recent dinner hosted by President Lee Jae-myung at the residence.

One image shows a small, tiled rectangular pool located in the garden, prompting speculation about its intended use.

Yoon’s former office previously explained that the structure was a small decorative pool “for landscaping purposes to welcome foreign guests.”

However, critics argue the size and design are inconsistent with traditional landscaping elements, with some suggesting it was used as a pool for the couple’s six dogs. Several attendees of the dinner Saturday commented that it “looked like a dog pool.”

The structure, which was not part of the original residence when Yoon moved in, is approximately 5 meters long and 2 meters wide, with a gradually deepening interior that reportedly does not exceed adult waist height.

The area around it is finished in marble, raising further questions about its practicality as a decorative pond.

During his presidency, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee kept six dogs and five cats at the residence. They previously faced criticism after it was revealed that hundreds of thousands of won in taxpayer funds were used to purchase cat towers, sparking embezzlement accusations.

The resurfacing of the controversy has also renewed scrutiny of the excessive water usage at the Hannam-dong residence. In April, Rep. Kim Young-hwan of the DPK revealed that more than 228 tons of water were used in just seven days from April 4 to 10, the period between Yoon’s dismissal by the Constitutional Court and his departure from the residence.

A separate report by the Hankyoreh noted that from November 2022 to June 2023, the residence consumed an average of 545 tons of water per month, around 90 times the average usage for a single adult.

DPK Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-heui, speaking on the YouTube program “News Factory,” argued that if the pool was built for private use with no public function, it could constitute misuse of public funds or even embezzlement.

Fellow lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae added, “A blue-tiled pool in a beautifully landscaped garden looks completely out of place — it’s an eyesore.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.