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Korea greets first-ever ‘first cat’
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Jjing-jjing became famous in 2012 when Moon first ran for the presidency against the eventual ousted President Park Geun-hye. (Shutterstock/File)
P
resident Moon Jae-in brought with him his cat, named Jjing-jjing, to Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday, introducing the country’s first-ever “first cat.”
Jjing-jjing, originally a stray, was first adopted by Moon’s daughter Da-hye, who passed it on to her father in 2007 when she got married.
The cat had since lived with Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook at their home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.
Read also: Moon starts term as South Korea leader after landslide win
Jjing-jjing became famous in 2012 when Moon first ran for the presidency against the eventual ousted President Park Geun-hye. Yoo Hong-joon, former head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, mentioned the pet in his speech to illustrate Moon’s caring personality.
On Sunday, Moon tweeted about a flycatcher whose recently built nest was found in the Cheong Wa Dae compound. Its baby birds apparently hatched the day Moon won the presidential election.
“Jjing-jjing has arrived, but I have a concern,” Moon tweeted, “There are five baby flycatchers living in the nest between a glass window and a sliding paper window.”
“Jjing-jjing used to occasionally surprise us at our (South) Gyeongsang (Province) home with dead birds,” Moon wrote, expressing worry his cat might attack the baby birds.
In addition to Jjing-jjing, Moon is also bringing “Maroo,” his dog from his Yangsan home, and is proceeding to adopt “Tory,” a homeless dog whose name -- referring to chestnut -- reflects its dark coat. Tory will join Maroo as the two will serve as co-first dogs.
This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
