Fu Bao, the giant panda celebrity of South Korea, was recently reunited with her grandfather, Kang Cheol Won, much to the delight of netizens.
Fu Bao, who is the first giant panda born in Korea’s Everland, was looked after by the 55-year-old Kang. The veteran zookeeper has been long in charge of taking care of Fu Bao and her family, as he was the one who looked after her parents, Le Bao and Ai Bao, when they were moved to Korea from China in 2016. He is also currently the caretaker of Fu Bao’s younger twin sisters, Rui Bao and Hui Bao.
Recently, Korean citizens were left devastated when Fu Bao had to be relocated to China for endangered wildlife preservation reasons. The public bid her a teary farewell, but when the giant panda arrived in China, anxieties over how the country treated her spilled over into online forums. Many even went to the extent of demanding Fu Bao be returned to Korea claiming she was not being treated properly.
Amidst this tense situation, Kang’s one-to-one visit to Fu Bao has soothed many apprehensive hearts in Korea. In a recent episode of the popular variety show You Quiz On The Block, Grandpa Kang Bao appeared and shared about his last meeting with Fu Bao, whom he had accompanied to China. The process, however, was not very simple since she is currently under a one-month quarantine.
Originally, outsiders aren’t allowed during the quarantine. In China, too, you can’t enter the quarantine room where Fu Bao is…I told them honestly, ‘Actually, I’m in a half-conscious state, but I’m here.’…I knew it was difficult, but I wanted to do a final check.
— Kang Cheol Won
Kang flew with Fu Bao to China despite his mother reportedly passing away the day before. He said that the Chinese officials negotiated with the quarantine authorities and were able to obtain permission for him to enter the quarantine room in full protective gear.
