Lee Jae-myung visits pet theme park construction site, says "will play a central role in promoting life-respecting culture"

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] On the morning of the 9th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung visited the pet theme park development project site in Sanggeo-dong, Yeoju, expressing his intention to "create a model comprehensive pet culture space of the Republic of Korea based on respect for life."

The governor inspected the site with National Assemblyman Park Hong-geun, Yeoju Mayor Lee Hang-jin, Yeoju City Council Chairman Park Si-seon, Veterinarians Without Borders Korea Representative Kim Jae-young, animal protection organizations, and officials from pet-specialized education and adoption agencies, then exchanged opinions on animal protection policies including the theme park's operational direction.

Governor Lee stated, "Animals need to be respected as living beings that share the earth with us," and added, "Because they are treated as commodities rather than life, respect consciousness has become very weak, resulting in issues of abandoned animal occurrences and dog meat consumption controversies."

He continued, "The act of trading life itself is a matter that warrants ethical reconsideration," emphasizing, "Now there is a need to bring public discussion on banning dog meat consumption and pet trading at the legal and institutional level."

He further stated, "I hope the pet theme park will establish itself as a model space of life respect representative of our country by appropriately combining the strengths of the public and private sectors," and added, "I ask that private organizations, including animal protection groups, also present diverse opinions."

In response, Animal Freedom Korea Representative Cho Hee-kyung stated, "The pet theme park should become a facility that can enhance the public's awareness toward animals," and suggested, "I hope the operating entity will properly coordinate the proportion between public and private sectors to fulfill their roles."

Korea Dog Association Vice President Park Ae-kyung proposed, "Public sector should take the lead in ensuring professional operations, while fully accepting opinions from the private sector that possesses expertise."

Beyond this, experts advised that the following are necessary: serving as a control tower for overall abandoned animal policies, optimizing facilities for timely treatment of abandoned animals, making abandoned animal protection facilities government-run, and promoting education for new professions such as animal health technicians.

The 'Pet Theme Park' is a complex educational and cultural space designed to realize "a world where people and animals live together in happiness," featuring animal protection and adoption facilities, life-respecting education, and facilities for fostering pet professionals and industry, meeting standards of advanced nations.

Targeting completion by March next year, 48.9 billion won will be invested in the Sanggeo-dong area, location number 380-4 of Yeoju, with plans to construct a total area of 165,200 square meters, including zone A, a pet protection culture space of 95,790 square meters, and zone B, a pet healing space of 69,410 square meters.

In particular, in the protection culture zone currently showing 60% construction progress, there will be cultural centers, adoption and management buildings, protection buildings, exercise grounds, and walking spaces, with interior facilities including cultural education rooms, animal hospitals, adoption consultation rooms, isolation rooms, protection rooms, and volunteer rooms.

Furthermore, the province plans to make efforts to establish it as a domestic representative 'pet culture hub' through free adoption via neutering and socialization of abandoned animals, adoption family education and follow-up management, volunteer support for animal protection, life-respecting education for pets, expert training, and industry development.

Meanwhile, the province is promoting various animal protection and welfare policies and infrastructure development including integrated management of animal protection facilities and construction of policy-sharing platforms, promotion of abandoned animal adoption, operation of temporary protection systems, pet care services, National Assembly discussions on reforming systems related to dog meat use and pet trading, and creation of dog play areas.