Korea’s Pride Sapsaree Tells Its Story

Professor Ha Ji-hong of Kyungpook University gave a detailed account of history and significance of the Sapsaree dog, a native Korean breed, to Korean culture and heritage at a gathering hosted by the KORUS House on August 7(Monday).

Over the past two millennia Sapsarees had been an integral part of Korean society. Believed to ward off evil, these canines frequently appear in murals, paintings and tombs of ancient Korean royalties.

Sapsarees appear not only in Korean artworks, but also in paintings of well-known Buddhist saint in China Jijang Bosal Kim Gyogack and in Japan where a mystic figure “Gomainu” – translated as “Goryeo Dog,” namely Sapsaree – guards the gates of Shinto temples.

The prominence of the Sapsaree in Korean culture indicates that traditionally Koreans have deep affection for the Sapsaree, Professor Ha argued. However, the Sapsaree expert expressed his concern that there are some who still view Korean people as “dog-eaters” in negative light. “Not all Koreans eat dogs. I, for one, have not touched it at all, and there are many like me who cherish our canine friends,” said the professor.

“Through this event, I hope to show people that Koreans are very affectionate towards our companions and vindicate the negative perception on Korean people,” he later told in an interview.

Despite the native dog’s cultural and historical esteem, awareness of Sapsaree has waned after WWII. “Jindo dogs, traditionally lesser known breed in Korea, replaced Sapsarees as a native dog to represent Korea. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know much about Sapsaree, now,” said the professor.

One main reason for the unfortunate and steep decline is the systemic slaughtering of Sapsaree by the Japanese imperial government during its occupation of Korea. “Up to 2 million dogs were slaughtered for dog pelts to be used as materials for Japanese army winter uniforms and boots. This atrocity drove Sapsaree to an imminent extinction,” explained Ha.

“Sapsarees were especially targeted because these dogs were unrelated to the Japanese native dogs, which the Japanese Government-general of Joseon (Japanese colonial government in Korea at that time) decreed to eliminate what they deemed to be mongrel breed,” he further explained.

After the War, only a handful of Sapsarees remained. Ha’s father Professor Seongjin took up the challenge of reviving the breed. Underfunded and understaffed, his effort seemed to be futile, which resulted in only eight Sapsarees surviving the whole ordeal. Despite the hardship, the current professor continued his father’s legacy and now there are more than 2,000 Sapsarees in Korea.

“On one spring day, I took a walk with a few Sapsarees, and I planned out what I should do to preserve the breed. First by breeding the native dog, we have to have a large number of Sapsarees with original traits; Secondly, we have to investigate the unique features of the Sapsaree breed through scientific research; Thirdly, getting the support from the general public through raising awareness of the breed through the study of the past documents; Lastly, a new concrete and relevant role that Sapsaree could develop in the modern Korean society, replacing the old myth that it only dispels evil spirits,” told the professor.

In 1992 after numerous trials, the Korean government officially recognized the dog as “national treasure” – protective measures and acknowledgements granted by the government to native flora or fauna that contribute to the national identity.

As the new revival effort, a couple of Sapsarees were sent to Dokdo islets to guard them. “The Sapsarees were known to dispel evil spirits. But in modern society, these dogs need a new role to play. Therefore, we stationed them in Dokdo islets to guard against any hostile outsiders and dispel foreign aggressors,” the professor concluded.

Currently, the revival efforts have been lauded by Korean politicians, winning a bipartisan support for new grants and expanded legal protective measures.

By Hoon Joo (with permission to reprint from Dynamic Korea)