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| Jeju dog / Yonhap |
By Lee Han-soo
More than 500 people have applied to receive "Jeju dogs" auctioned by the Jeju Livestock Institute (JLI) Tuesday.
JLI put up 20 puppies ―14 males and six females ― born in April and May this year.
Jeju dogs are known to have from China 3,000 years ago and adapted to the island's unique environment.
They are gentle, loyal and have outstanding hunting skills.
The puppies are priced at about 50,000 won ($43).
JLI will select 20 owners by lottery and is expected to inspect the winners' breeding environment and conduct a thorough interview before handing over the puppies.
Even after the sale, inspectors will check the dogs every month.
The JLI, established in June 1986, has been working to preserve the dogs' pure blood line.
The institute started to auction the puppies and has sold 125 since 2012.
However, animal protection groups blasted JLI's decision to auction the puppies.
"The Jeju dog is a native dog that is endangered," said CARE, an animal protection group, in a statement. "The plan to sell off the young puppies at a minimum price as if they were objects completely destroys the institute's efforts since 2015 to register the Jeju dog as a national heritage."
Meanwhile ― after growing criticism from animal protection groups ― the institute cancelled the auction of six "old" Jeju dogs that were supposed to be offered with the puppies.
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