Hwang Jung-eum Faces Criticism Over Pet Care After Dogs Seen Outdoors During Heatwave

South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum (황정음) recently shared a glimpse into her home life after a long hiatus, but the video unexpectedly sparked controversy over her method of raising her dogs.

On August 12, Hwang uploaded a new video to her personal YouTube channel titled “Super Simple Braised Short Ribs + Sparkling Water Kimchi, A Day of Eating at Home.” This marked her first public update on her daily life in approximately a month.

In the video, Hwang prepares home-cooked dishes like braised short ribs and radish kimchi. While she was busy cooking, her two dogs could be seen resting on the ground in the garden connected to the kitchen. From the footage, it appeared the dogs remained in the garden throughout Hwang's cooking and meal with staff, which unexpectedly raised concerns among some netizens.

As South Korea is currently experiencing a severe heatwave, with Seoul issuing consecutive high-temperature advisories, some netizens felt it was inappropriate to keep dogs outdoors for extended periods in such weather. They left comments expressing concern for the dogs' well-being.

One netizen commented, “It’s so hot, surely they aren’t kept outside all the time?” Another added, “It looks like the dogs are always outside.” Other comments included, “Is she raising them as garden dogs? They look so pitiful staying outside in this heat,” and “My heart aches for the dogs staying in the garden in such heat.”

However, many other netizens argued that it was unfair to judge Hwang’s pet care based solely on the video footage. They defended her, saying, “Every person and every dog has their own lifestyle,” “Dogs that can roam freely in a large garden might be happier than those always stuck inside,” and “Dogs naturally love spacious gardens.”