"Democratic Party Leadership Dinner Confirmed on Site"… Structure Approximately 5m Long and 70cm Deep

It has been suggested that former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife potentially installed a swimming pool for their pet dog in the outdoor space of the presidential residence located in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

In this context, controversy has intensified as excessive water usage relative to a typical household was recorded just before their departure from the residence.

On the 8th, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hong-geun revealed on Facebook that he had visited the presidential residence at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung the previous day, posting a photo of the swimming pool installed in the outdoor area. That day, President Lee hosted a dinner for the members of the first and second leadership of the Democratic Party during his tenure.

Lawmaker Park stated, "The swimming pool confirmed on-site was quite small and shallow to be considered for adults," adding, "The lawmakers present unanimously remarked that it was highly likely to be a dog swimming pool."

The pool appears to be approximately 5m long and 2m wide, with the deepest part measuring only 70-80cm, which is below waist height.

Another dinner attendee noted, "It was barely wide enough for an adult to lie down, and the water level didn’t even reach waist height."

228 Tons of Water Usage… Questions Raised About Pool's Relation

Regarding this, a report submitted by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-hwan from the Seoul Arisu Headquarters revealed that former President Yoon used over 228 tons of water during the seven days he stayed at the Hannam-dong residence following the Constitutional Court's impeachment ruling on April 4. This figure far exceeds the average monthly usage for a typical four-person household, raising concerns about "excessive water usage."

Subsequently, it was interpreted that the water was used for a "pool within the residence," and Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Geon-young mentioned during an MBC radio appearance last April that "I heard there was a small swimming pool at the residence," adding, "I was told that the former president and his wife did not use it directly."

At that time, the presidential office explained this concern as "the usual amount needed for the operation of the residence," but Yoon criticized this, saying, "The scale of the Blue House and the Hannam-dong residence is entirely different, and justifying 200 tons or more compared to the previous standard of 40-50 tons is not rational."

Lawmaker Yoon Geon-young "Pool in the Photo Matches the Reported Facility"

Lawmaker Yoon stated he received a report about a swimming pool for pets being installed at the residence during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. In a phone call with reporters, he remarked, "Seeing the publicly released photo now, the reported details and facility structure from that time appear very similar," asserting, "It is highly likely that the facility in the photo is a dog swimming pool."

Meanwhile, the presidential office has yet to provide any official stance regarding the purpose or installation timing of the facility.

However, questions regarding the continued water usage post-retirement, along with the recent photo release, are expected to fuel political battles regarding the former president and his wife’s use of the residence.

Image source: facebook 'Park Hong-geun', Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Kun-hee / News1, Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife visiting the Guide Dog School of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do / Presidential Office