South Korean Actor Attacked By Netizens for Buying Controversial Cat
By Bryan Ke
South Korean netizens have criticized actor Yoon Kyun Sang for buying a Scottish Fold Munchkin, an experimental cat breed that is a cross between a Scottish Fold and a Munchkin cat, also called a Scottish Kilt.
Netizens did not take the news of Yoon’s new cat very well when the 30-year-old actor shared the pictures on his Instagram a few days back, according to AllKpop. “Ehem, this is maknae daughter Somyi,” he wrote in the caption.
A lot of them called out the actor, accusing him of only buying and raising mixed breeds from pet shops. To add fuel to their fire, this breed of cat is known to be susceptible to genetic diseases — a result of inbreeding.
After being called out, the actor immediately made a lengthy post on Instagram to explain his side. The explanation and original photo of Somyi have since been deleted.
“Somyi is a Scottish Kilt breed. Kilts are incorrect breeds which were created forcefully from man’s greed. A type of conditioned mutant. They often have hereditary diseases, they fall ill often, and most of them have weaker bodies than normal cats. Somyi has a history of suffering a skin disease, and as you can see in the photos, has heavily misaligned teeth. They say you should adopt, not buy, and this wasn’t in my plans at all but I just had to bring her home because she has already been born in this world, she is very sick, and I couldn’t leave her alone after seeing this baby with my own eyes. I sometimes forget that I am a public figure. I should have explained myself clearly, but I forgot to because I was excited about my new family. This was my mistake. I apologize.”
Some fans rejected his explanation, even offering further criticism, saying: “Buying from pet shops is nothing short of giving those who sell cats’ lives for money a strengthening push,” “I think he contributed to the very reason why pet shops continue to exist,” and “Regardless of your reason for bringing it home, those experimental breeds will now continue to be produced.”
The actor is very well known as a cat lover. He already has three cats before he adopted Somyi.
Two of his cats have appeared on the show “Three Meals a Day.”
He also has a Bengal cat named Ddomi.
While it’s true that adopting is preferable to purchasing a pet, it’s understandable that Yoon felt the need to take care of Somyi, especially in her condition. Perhaps not all things are black and white!
Feature Image (left) via Instagram / yunkyunsang
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