"This Mixed-Breed Dog Will Bite People"... Tourist Hears 'Verbal Abuse' While Visiting Attraction With Pet Dog

Argument erupts after safety officer voices concern about possible bite incident when dog barks
“What kind of XXX people are these?” ... Imsil County apologizes

Controversy has arisen after reports emerged that an on-site safety officer verbally abused a tourist accompanied by a dog near the Okjeongho Suspension Bridge in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province.

Imsil County acknowledged that the remarks were inappropriate and apologized to the dog's guardian. It also removed the safety officer from their existing duties and reassigned them to other work.

On October 17, a person identified as A, who said they were the guardian of a dog named Hongdani, posted on social media (SNS) about an argument with a safety officer during a visit to a tourist attraction in Imsil County.

A safety officer at the scene has come under fire for verbally abusing a tourist accompanied by a dog near the Okjeongho Suspension Bridge in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province. Screenshot from social media.

A video posted by A shows the safety officer saying of the dog, "This one looks like it'll bite." The officer then told A, "If you brought a big dog, you should know to be sorry," and also used profanity, saying, "What kind of XXX-less people are these?"

A claimed that other tourists nearby also took issue with the dog's breed. "People around me each said that other dogs were fine, but a mixed-breed dog would bite people and shouldn't be allowed in," A said.

Imsil County said it understood that the conflict arose after the dog barked and the safety officer became concerned about the possibility of a bite incident in a crowded area.

An apology statement released by Imsil County Office. Screenshot from Imsil County's social media.

Imsil County acknowledged that the profanity was wrong. A county official said, "Regardless of what happened before or after, it was wrong to use the expression 'XXX-less.'" The department head in charge called A directly to apologize. The safety officer at the center of the controversy was removed from their existing duties and assigned other work.

However, the safety officer reportedly did not apologize to the dog's guardian in person. The county said it asked A whether it could provide the safety officer's contact information, but A declined.

Imsil County recently began allowing visitors to bring dogs onto the Okjeongho Suspension Bridge, where dogs had previously been prohibited. As the number of tourist attractions that visitors can enjoy with their pets grows, some say standards for on-site safety management and interactions with visitors should also be established.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.