In South Korea, Jindo dog's life in the name of race
A sharp, short-haired dog, the Jindo hunting dog is a symbol of South Korea, officially classified as a National Treasure since 1962. In order to keep its lineage as pure as possible, breeders and Korean authorities have taken action radical.
A medium-sized dog known for its fierce loyalty, Jindo bears the name of the rural island he originated off the south coast of the Korean peninsula.
In Jindo, visitors are greeted by signs and statues of the eponymous dog. But the bucolic appearance of the island contrasts with the rigid apartheid imposed on the canidae: any dog that can not prove its pedigree or that does not meet strict standards set to preserve the race is immediately exiled.
To be able to go to the island, each Jindo must have an official authorization and be treated.
"We protect the breed by not letting registered dogs leave the island and by not allowing those who do not have a government license to come," said Cha Jae-Nam, who heads the Research and Development Center. Test on the Jindo.
This state center spends two billion won ($ 1.75 million) a year for what it calls the "systematic and scientific" preservation of the Jindo breed.
"For humans, it's not common to test paternity on newborns, but we do it for all puppies at birth," Cha told AFP. "They get a birth certificate if they match their parents' DNA and if they do not, they have to leave the island."
Racial Purity
This unconditional canine policy echoes a notion of racial purity typical of South Korea, an exceptionally homogeneous society where the population is about 96% of Korean ethnic origin and where crossbreeding can be seen very badly.
As far as the Jindos are concerned, even an indisputable filiation does not ensure their survival.
At the age of six months, the puppy undergoes a rigorous evaluation (shape of the ears, the legs, the tail, the head ...). If he successfully passes this examination, it is then officially registered as National Treasure, a status that benefits the 6,000 Jindos of the island.
These rigorous controls allow Mr. Cha to declare that "all Jindos dogs in Jindo County are purebred." But if the puppy fails, he is exiled.
The obsession with a "pure" lineage of Jindos means that some breeders are abandoning pups that do not meet the criteria, says Chae Il-Taek, Korean Association for Animal Welfare director. "Discrimination that undermines the dignity of animals," he denounced.
Quite often, fallen Jindos end up on plates, says Chae. "A large number of expelled dogs from Jindo Island are sold to dog meat producers."
The South Koreans would consume between 1.5 and 2.5 million dogs each year, according to animal rights groups, although this culinary practice is declining among younger generations.
Chouchou of the leaders
South Korean leaders love the Jindos. Former President Kim Dae-Jung had even offered a couple of Jindos dogs to North Korea in the early 2000s as part of his "Sunshine Policy". Park Geun-Hye, the president recently dismissed as a result of a resounding corruption case, had nine ... which she nevertheless left behind when she left her post.
In a test center laboratory, under fluorescent lights, researcher Kim Jong-Seok proudly opens a double door refrigerator containing rows of blood flasks. DNA samples from all the Jindos born on the island are kept there, say the people in charge.
For Kim, who has been studying this canine breed for two decades, meticulous checks are necessary to keep the Jindos healthy. "The consanguinity of the royal families has caused many deformations in humans," he said. "We prevent (here) various diseases and deformations".
Meanwhile, the Jindos breeders are very comfortable with this radical racial policy, which allows them to sell a "pure" puppy for a thousand dollars.
"It's not that the dogs expelled from the island are bad ..." concedes Lim Tae-Young, who runs an association of 70 Jindos breeders on the island.
"But we do not complain" because even though "procedures like screening are bothersome and tedious", "this generates income," he said, while a handful of puppy gamblers heckled at his feet.
