A restaurateur in Seoul's Yongsan District who ran a sashimi restaurant featured as a hot spot on singer Sung Si-kyung's YouTube channel is facing controversy over allegations of neglecting a pet dog during the closure process. As the uproar grew, the restaurant owner said the dog was left there only temporarily due to personal circumstances.
According to social media Threads on the 4th, a user identified as A recently posted that "a shop in Yongsan District closed in early last month and left a puppy behind." The post also included a photo showing a white pet dog left alone inside the shop.
A said, "The puppy was trembling, so I spread out an apron and some clothes from inside the shop on the floor," adding, "There were many mosquitoes and bugs, and the lack of ventilation made the stench severe."
As the news spread, internet users were outraged. In particular, they went to Sung Si-kyung's YouTube video that featured the shop about two years ago and left critical comments such as "They abandoned a dog they raised for 14 years" and "Take down the video."
As the controversy grew, the owner explained on social media, "While business was temporarily suspended, we had nowhere to leave the dog, so we kept the dog in the safest place for us, and my husband stayed on site with the dog." The owner added, "We will resolve this as quickly as possible to avoid further misunderstandings."
According to A, on the night of the 2nd, after the controversy escalated, the owner and the owner's spouse came to the shop and took the pet dog. A added, "The owner told me not to take pictures and later said they would find a temporary shelter."