South Korea says Yoon wanted special treatment for his pets in 2023 France trips

Former South Korean first couple Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee requested special treatment for their pets from South Korea’s embassy in Paris during their visits to France in 2023, an opposition lawmaker has revealed.

The couple “planned to bring their dogs on two visits to France in 2023 and asked the embassy to prepare protocol arrangements for them”, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Jae-jung said during a parliamentary audit on Monday, The Korea Times newspaper reported.

“There were absurd demands, such as requesting space for the dogs inside a hotel suite, designating an embassy staffer to handle the pets and providing a separate vehicle for the animals,” Lee said, as quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“During a state visit, security and protocol for the head of state should come first. It’s deplorable that public officials were mobilised for pet protocol instead.”

Singling out Kim, Lee added: “At that time, she was promoting herself as an advocate for animal rights. Was the foreign ministry her personal travel agency? The idea of arranging kennels and assigning staff for ‘First Dogs’ is humiliating.”

Although the couple ultimately did not take their dogs on the trip, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun confirmed that the request was made, The Korea Herald newspaper reported.