A Phungsan dog show was held in Pyongyang as enthusiasm for raising the national dog sweeps throughout the country. The former Phungsan area in the northern part of the DPRK is home to the indigenous breed of Phungsan dog. It belongs to the species of guard and hunting dog and as it is incomparably clever than other dog species, many Pyongyang citizens like to breed them. Sponsored by the Pyongyang municipal committee of the General Federation of Science and Technology of Korea, the show was held at the Central Zoo on Sep 26, drawing the attention of many. “My two-year-old Phungsan is so lovely that neighbours feel envy at me,” said Ryu In Chol, a resident in Anhak-dong of Taesong District. “My dog is so sensitive it can discern persons from their footsteps, especially my relatives even if they visit me after a lapse of several years,” said Sin Jae Hak living in Pothonggang-dong No. 2 of Pothonggang District. “People’s interest in the first-ever show in Pyongyang is very great. I think it is a manifestation of their affection for the dog, a national treasure and pride of the nation. The aim of the show is to make a correct appraisal of pure-bred Phungsan and increase its number,” said Pak In Chol, staffer of the Pyongyang municipal committee of the GFSTK. The jury included eight experts including Yu Pyong Guk, MSc and chief of the zoological society of the Pyongyang municipal committee who is also deputy director of the Central Zoo. The dogs were evaluated in detailed indexes of figure, posture, motility, vigilance and pedigree. The four-year-old dog of Kim Kwang Hyok living in Kosan-dong of Taesong District came first among male dogs, while the three-and-a-half-year-old dog of Pak Un Chol living in Kammun-dong of Taesong District was rated excellent in female dogs. Excellent dogs are to attend the national Phungsan dog show. A video on Phungsan dog was screened and a short course of its breeding was given on the sidelines of the show. By Kil Chung Il PT