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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's presidential office has found a home for two of the nine dogs former President Park Geun-hye left behind when she was forced out of office over a corruption scandal.
Park's decision to leave the dogs upset the country's dog lovers, who flooded the internet with angry comments.
A spokesman from the presidential Blue House said Friday that the puppies were given to an organization that raises Jindo dogs, a valued native breed. The official says five other puppies will be soon sent to two other organizations.
Park's neighbors gave her a pair of Jindo dogs when she moved into the Blue House in 2013. The dogs recently gave birth to seven puppies.
Amid the online uproar, an animal rights group filed a complaint against Park with the country's anti-corruption and civil rights body, accusing her of animal abandonment. It's highly unlikely that Park not taking the dogs with her could be seen as abandonment under the country's animal protection law because it's obvious the dogs are being properly treated.
South Korea's parliament passed an impeachment motion against Park in December, and a court formally removed her from office last Friday.
Prosecutors plan to question her next week over suspicions that she colluded with a friend to extort money and favors from companies and allowed the friend to secretly interfere with state affairs.
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