On the afternoon of the 5th with intermittent snow and rain, a bereaved pet dog named Pudding, who lost family members in the recent tragedy, visited the Jeju Air victims' memorial altar in front of Seoul City Hall.
After losing nine family members, including 80-year-old A from Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province, Pudding wandered the village before being rescued by the animal rights group "Care." Dressed in blue and carried by an activist into the memorial altar, Pudding looked around in confusion and lowered its head during the eulogy reading. The dog did not bark once throughout the memorial service.
Care noted that Pudding participated in the memorial to mourn the victims before being adopted. Kim Young-hwan, head of Care, explained, "It was necessary for Pudding to greet the guardians before finding a new family."
Pudding was the pet dog of A, the eldest victim of the Jeju Air disaster, who went on an overseas trip to celebrate an 80th birthday with family and met with tragedy.
An activist temporarily caring for Pudding said, "At home, Pudding just stares at the door and looks dispirited." Kim noted, "There is a lot of interest domestically and internationally in adopting Pudding, which seems to be a way to continue the condolences."
Care plans to temporarily care for Pudding in agreement with the bereaved family and will start accepting official adoption applications from the 6th.