Pointy-eared,.. and short-haired,... Jindo dogs are considered a symbol of Korea.
Tracing back the history of the breed,... a team of local researchers says they've found the Jindo's genetic roots.
Park Se-young has more.
With a strong jaw and stocky build, Korean Jindo dogs are brave and loyal to their owners.
The breed, which originated on Jindo Island, is also extremely smart and capable of learning even complicated commands quickly.
The Donggyeong dog, indigenous to Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, looks similar to Jindos, but with a short or no tail.
Korean canine breeds were long said to have Chinese or Japanese roots, but researchers have proved that claim to be false.
According to the Rural Development Administration's DNA analysis of nearly 23-hundred dogs belonging to 33 different breeds, the three iconic Korean breeds - Jindo, Donggyeong and Pungsan - all shared the wolf and coyote as common ancestors.
They were found to have more wild genes than huskies and malamutes, commonly described as wolf dogs.
The Pungsan breed resembled wolves the most, while the Jindo possessed the fewest similarities of the three.
The researchers used a specially designed chip that records the genetic data of each dog to reveal the genetic identity of Korean breeds for the first time.
"Hopefully, sharing our findings with organizations like the FCI will make our country's dogs internationally recognized."
In order to preserve Korea's native dogs, the RDA highlighted the need to reverse the trend of a dwindling population of Pungsan and Donggyeong dogs.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
