Kim Jong Un gifts Putin dogs as leaders bond over animals, ride horses
The Hindu
Kim Jong Un gifts Putin Pungsan dogs, bond over animals, ride horses, and strengthen North Korea-Russia relations.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed, state media KCNA reported on June 20.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin were seen looking at the dogs, who were tied to a rose-covered fence, during a segment aired on the state-controlled Korean Central Television on Thursday.
Also Read | The quick transformation of Russia-North Korea ties
The two bonded over animals as Mr. Kim fed carrots to a horse while Mr. Putin patted it on its head.
Mr. Kim, a horseman, was famously pictured riding a white stallion in Mount Paektu during snowfall in photos released by state media in 2019, flooding the internet with memes.
He was seen riding a white horse again in a propaganda video in 2022.
The horses Mr. Kim rode are symbolic for North Korea, which named its economic effort to recover from the 1950-53 Korean War after the mythical winged horse Chollima. The country's latest rocket booster is also named Chollima-1.
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