The Pungsan or Poongsan (Hangul: 풍산개; Hanja: ) is a breed of hunting dog from North Korea. They receive their name from the mountainous northern county of Pungsan, now Kimhyŏnggwŏn, where they were first bred. They are a very rare dog, and are hardly known outside of North Korea.
History
Though the origins of the Pungsan dog is not known, it is believed they were bred as hunting dogs as early as the Joseon. It is known that they originated in the mountainous north of Korea in Pungsan county (now known as Kimhyŏnggwŏn. Their thick coat is a protection against the freezing temperatures of northern Korea, and they were bred to be resistant to the cold. In old Korean tales, the dogs were famous for their cleverness and loyalty, as well as their hunting ability; there is even a famous story of a Pungsan defeating a Siberian tiger.
