Puppy diplomacy: Dogs gifted by North Korea gives birth in the South

Seoul, South Korea

The South Korean Presidential Office on Tuesday released video and photographs of President Moon Jae-in showing off the newly born puppies of a pair of white North Korean Pungsan dogs that were received as a gift.

The puppies were first unveiled by the Blue House on November 25 in photographs showing Moon and First Lady Kim Jung-sook playing with the puppies.

The puppies were mothered by Gomi, part of a pair of white North Korean Pungsan dogs given by the North's leader Kim Jong Un to Moon in September -- the latest sign of a dramatic thaw in relations between the Korean rivals.

Moon and Kim held their third meeting this year in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in mid-September, when Kim proposed the idea of the canine presents, the South Korean presidential Blue House said in a statement on Sunday.

The Pungsan breed, named after a North Korean county, is known for its loyalty and skills for hunting. It is designated as a North Korean "natural monument" animal.