[Korea Quiz] Jindo dogs

Find the answer at the bottom.

Once the owner, always the owner.

This phrase epitomizes the faithfulness of the Jindo dog, native to the island of Jindo in South Jeolla Province.

One of the most famous stories illustrating the Jindo dog’s loyalty to its owner and its instinct to return home, even from several hundred kilometers away, is the tale of Baekgu from 1993.

In March of that year, 5-year-old Baekgu, originally born in a home in Jindo, was sold and sent to a new owner in another city some 300 km away, Daejeon. By October of the same year, the dog had returned to its previous owner, hungry and emaciated. The story garnered news headlines at the time, inspired several children's books and a TV documentary and even led to the creation of a monument commemorating Baekgu on Jindo.

Jindo dogs are also renowned for their bravery when encountering larger animals like wild boars, especially when protecting their owners. They do not cower but confront them head-on.

For this reason, the South Korean armed forces use the term "Jindo Dog" for its official emergency alert system with levels 1-3. "Jindo Dog Three" denotes a peaceful, non-combat ready state, whereas "Jindo Dog One" puts the troops at the highest level of alert in preparation for actual battle.

However, Jindo dogs are not widely utilized as special services dogs in the military or police forces in South Korea. Several efforts have been made, but their tendency to bond with only one owner, aggressiveness toward other animals and strong hunting instincts have posed challenges during missions.

Jindo dogs are more commonly found as domestic guard dogs in rural areas.

Answer: (c)

By Korea Herald(khnews@heraldcorp.com)