The Seok-bong Family of Jirisan Mountain Forms Special Bonds by Taking in Four Abandoned Dogs

A story has been shared about people in a village at the foot of Jirisan Mountain who have formed a large family by taking in abandoned animals one by one. According to the July 30, 2022 broadcast video of KBS Animal Theater: Best Friends on KBS Animal TV : Animal for You animal4u, the Seok-bong family of Jirisan Mountain practices a life of living together with abandoned pet dogs, believing they are destined connections rather than sending them to shelters.

Destined encounters in rice paddy ridges and field furrows, the stories of four pet dogs

Four pet dogs with different stories live together in Seok-bong's house. The video captures the specific process of how they became a family. First, 'Dureongi' is a puppy that followed Seok-bong after being found abandoned in a rice paddy ridge about 10 years ago. The name also stems from the encounter in the rice paddy ridge. 'Irangi' takes its name from a field furrow; this is a case where Seok-bong's family gladly took in a dog that had been kept by an elderly person but was left unable to eat properly and tied with a short leash when the owner was hospitalized due to illness.

The stories of 'Gomi' and 'Gomi', who have the most special stories, were also revealed. Seven years ago, they treated a mother dog named 'Haenguni' who came to them abandoned with a large tumor in her abdomen, and after Haenguni passed away after giving birth, her offspring 'Gomi' became part of the family. In addition to this, including 'Kkotbuni' who follows Seok-bong particularly well, all four have formed deep bonds with Seok-bong's family. Kkotbuni is six years old and has the characteristic of always staying by his side and following him closely, to the point of being called Seok-bong's "clingy shadow."

Seok-bong regards all these encounters not as coincidences, but as destiny. In the video, he emphasized that the process of wandering animals naturally finding their way home is destiny, stating, "I didn't think about sending them to a shelter. I thought we should take in these abandoned ones."

Three generations enjoying summer vacation at Chilseon Valley in Jirisan Mountain

During the summer, this family goes water playing at the downstream area of Chilseon Valley, a representative valley of Jirisan Mountain. In the video, the scene of three generations—Seok-bong's father Seok-bong, son Hwi-geun, and granddaughter Seo-ha—gathering to enjoy playing in the valley water is depicted. The pet dogs also join in this daily life.

Ten-year-old 'Dureongi' loves water very much and showed skilled doggy paddle skills. On the other hand, eight-year-old 'Irangi' showed a scene of leisurely enjoying a back bath by Seok-bong's side instead of entering the water. After finishing playing in the valley, the family rested while eating beef jerky as a snack. At the time the video was released, it was known that they visit this valley once a week during the summer to have a good time. As Jirisan Mountain had very sunny weather with almost no rain at the time, the family took meticulous care of the pet dogs exhausted by the heat by moving them by car.

Unique traditional house life in Jirisan Mountain where three generations live on different floors

The residential style of Seok-bong's family also draws attention. Located in Changwon Village at an altitude of 300m, their house is structured so that three generations live separately on each floor. The first floor is used as a cafe operated by the son and his wife, the second floor is where the son's family and the granddaughter live, and the highest third floor is where Seok-bong and his wife reside, forming a unique three-story traditional house structure. The first-floor cafe operated by the son and his wife is also a place frequently visited by tourists looking for the Jirisan Dulle-gil Trail.

Seok-bong revealed that after accidentally entering this village in 2007, he moved here in less than a month because he liked the feeling of the house. He accepts abandoned animals as family with the belief that even animals beyond the fence experience doubled happiness when living together with humans, saying, "Where is there a person living alone in this world?" In his daily life, Seok-bong heads to the field once every day with Kkotbuni, continuing a life where nature and animals coexist.