A South Korean pop star has shocked the internet after allowing her pet pomeranian to lick her mouth and lips.
Kim Chaewon, who is a member of the K-pop girl group Le Sserafim, shared several videos of the ‘disgusting’ interaction to Korean social media app Weverse.
In one video, the 25-year-old lies flat on her back as her beloved pooch Shiro enthusiastically licks her mouth.
Chaewon puckers her lips into a pout and gently caresses the dog’s ears as it eagerly continues lapping at her mouth.
In another clip, the Le Sserafim singer makes smooching sounds while Shiro tries to lick her tongue.
After the videos were posted on social media sites like X and Instagram, hundreds of K-pop fans weighed in and branded Chaewon’s behavior ‘gross and weird’.
‘She loves her dog a little too much,’ wrote one, while another commented, ‘Damn, that’s disgusting’.
‘That video of Chaewon and her dog is FOUL and no, people are not overreacting! She let her dog lick the inside of her mouth, touching tongues at one point, for a whole 20 seconds,’ raged another.
Kim Chaewon, who is a member of the K-pop girl group Le Sserafim, shocked fans by letting her pomeranian Shiro
‘That’s a whole make out session with a f***ing dog you will not convince me it’s not that weird and disgusting,’ they added.
‘Please stop putting that disgusting video of Chaewon and her dog down my timeline, I can’t take it anymore!’ begged another.
Earlier this year, a team of Penn State researchers warned that household dogs are ‘overlooked spreaders’ for zoonotic pathogens and that it is not advisable for dog owners to kiss their pets.
This includes antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, which can cause diarrhoea, fever, abdominal cramps, and even death in some extreme cases.
‘Especially with Salmonella, we think about the role of agriculture and transmission – we think about eggs, we think about beef,’ said Sophia Kenney, an author of the study.
‘But the thing is, we don’t let cows sleep in our beds or lick our faces, but we do dogs.
‘We have this close bond with companion animals in general, and we have a really close interface with dogs.’
Salmonella is a nasty bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
In one video, the 25-year-old lies flat on her back as her beloved pooch Shiro enthusiastically licks her mouth
After the videos were posted on social media sites like X and Instagram, hundreds of K-pop fans weighed in and branded Chaewon’s behavior ‘gross and weird’
Symptoms of infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and vomiting, while on some occasions it can prove fatal.
The most common way for the bacteria to spread is by eating contaminated food or drinks – especially poultry.
However, unbeknownst to many people is the fact that you can also catch the bacteria from your pets.
‘Most pet reptiles or amphibians can carry salmonella. Dogs, cats and rodents can occasionally become infected,’ the NHS explains.
In their new study, the team set out to understand the true potential for Salmonella to be transmitted to humans via their pet dogs.
The 25-year-old poses with Shiro in a photo shared to Instagram
Chaewon is a member of the chart-topping Korean girl group Le Sserafim
Using the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, they firstly identified all Salmonella strains isolated from domestic dogs between May 2017 and March 2023.
Then they matched the timing and location of those 87 cases to strains isolated from humans.
Their analysis uncovered 77 suspected zoonotic cases – meaning the bacteria moved from a pet dog to a human – comprising 164 strains.
‘Salmonella infections in dogs are not common but we’re aware of foodborne outbreaks related to pet treats or from contact with contaminated pet food and improper food handling,’ Ms Kenney said.
Based on the findings, the researchers are urging dog owners to avoid kissing their pets, and to make sure they regularly wash their hands after contact.
‘Simple hygiene practices such as hand washing are needed to protect both our furry friends and ourselves – our dogs are family but even the healthiest pup can carry Salmonella,’ said Nkuchia M’ikanatha, co-author of the study.
‘We must respect the enduring threat of Salmonella and remain vigilant in preventing its spread within our families.’
