Dog in South Korea treks 20km home to reunite with owner after going missing for 41 days

Dog in South Korea goes missing for 41 days before walking over 20km home to reunite with owner

Recently in South Korea, a canine has made the headlines for walking more than 20km to reunite with his owner.

He had initially gone missing for 41 days, having run off while attending a dog convention in Moksang-dong, Daejeon.

However, the dog, a one-year-old Korean Jindo, braved the wilderness to return home to his owner last Friday (3 May).

Dog in South Korea walks over 20km home to reunite with owner

The Korea Herald reported that a local YouTube channel posted about the dog, a Jindo breed living in the city of Daejeon with his owner, Yoon Jeong-sang.

Yoon, a football fan who owns 10 Jindos, affectionately named him after South Korean footballer Son Heung-min, mistaking his name to be Son Hong-min.

On 24 March, Hong-min attended the convention with Yoon in Moksang-dong, Daejeon.

Upon hearing sounds from a loudspeaker and the barks from other dogs, the then-11-month-old dog grew scared and dashed off.

Yoon then contacted local animal shelters and district offices in an effort to find Hong-min.

However, he didn’t hold out much hope for the canine to make his own way home.

This was due to the convention taking place at a venue that’s more than 20km away from their home. In addition, the area was new to the dog.

Dog did not sustain major injuries from long trek home

However, on 3 May, Yoon heard his dogs bark at a junkyard he operated. Upon seeing brown fur reminiscent of Hong-min, he called out: “Hong-min, is that you?”

Seeing a dog wagging its tail, he went closer and realised that it was indeed Hong-min who had finally returned home.

Yoon shared that Hong-min was on the streets for more than a month. Despite this, he did not lose much weight or sustain any serious injuries.

He had simply attracted a few ticks while travelling through the wilderness, which he required medical attention for.

After spending a few days lying down at home, Hong-min made a full recovery and has since been eating and playing well.

Jindo dogs known for their loyalty to owners

Yoon went on to praise the canine for being particularly smart and gentle from a young age. He had been able to learn basic commands such as “sit” or “get up” unusually quickly.

Hong-min’s actions, though, aren’t all that unusual for his species in particular. According to PetMD, Jindos are loyal and dignified, with unwavering devotion for their human owners.

Provided they receive proper socialisation and training, these dogs can become suitable pets for committed owners.

A similar case to Hong-min’s occurred back in 2000, according to the Korea Herald. A Jindo dog named Jinsuni made her way home in Yongin, located in the Gyeonggi province.

She did so several times, once after a kidnapping that took her to Gochang in the North Jeolla Province, 200km away.

Also read: Dog In China Spends 14 Days Trekking Back Home To Owners ‘Cause She Misses Them

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Featured image adapted from 명견을 찾아서 TV on YouTube.