Meet the Sapsal, more commonly romanized as “Sapsaree,” one of four dog breeds native to Korea (along with the Jindo, Korean Dosa Mastiff, and Poong San). Many of us own breeds that are known to be quite old, but the Sapsaree is a truly ancient dog: The first known record of the Sapsaree appears in a tomb mural from the Three Kingdom period – 37 B.C. to 668 A.D!

There was a time when only royalty could have the dogs, and the Sapsaree appeared on many imperial seals. Later, the dogs began to be kept and bred by non-royals – mostly upper class citizens and members of the nobility – but over time, the Sapsali became more common, and so popular that the breed could be found living with all classes of Koreans.

The breed was traditionally believed to dispel ghosts and evil spirits. In Korean, its name is translated as “sap,”  to dig out, and “sar” or ghost, giving the breed’s name the literal meaning of a dog that roots out evil.  For centuries, an ancient adage said that “a ghost dare not appear when there is a Sapsaree around.”  Indeed, so revered was the Sasparee for its ability to bring good fortune that General Kim Yoo Shin took the dogs along on his battles to bring good luck and ward off the presence of evil

Sadly, the breed could not overcome the evil that came during the period of Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). Huge numbers of Sapsals were killed by the Japanese military not only to make winter coats of their fur for soldiers serving in Manchuria’s bitter cold,  but to eliminate the culture of Korea, and impose their own heritage on the country.  It’s estimated that approximately 100,000 to 150,000 Sapsali were slaughtered every year during WWI and WWII. 

The near demise of the breed came to the attention of some professors at Kyungpook National University. A search was conducted in 1969 for any dogs that survived, and only thirty were found. It got worse. Professor Ha Ji-Hong, a geneticist educated in America, returned home to Korea in 1985 to find that only eight dogs of the original thirty remained in the kennel established by his father to save the breed. He was quoted as saying in a Reuter’s article, “The thought of Sapsarees being gone forever was like a jolt to my thoughts and it woke me up to take on the challenge. My Father told me, ‘Restoring a dog breed is a project fit for an English nobleman with unlimited capital.  I don’t know how you’re going to take on such a challenge with your college professor’s salary.’”

Somehow, they managed.

In 1992, the South Korean government designated the Sapsaree as Natural Monument #368.The Korean Sapsaree Foundation was founded as a non-profit organization for the preservation of the breed, and assistance of government funds went toward resurrecting the breed. Happily, the breed has made a joyous comeback through a combination of traditional breeding and advances in modern DNA technology. Some who believe that the original breed died out, however, question the authenticity of the “new” Sapsali saying they’re just a a modern creation and don’t deserve national treasure status. We may never know for sure, but the Pollyanna in us chooses to believe that the “old” Sapsaree lives on in the dogs of today.

The Sapsaree has been identified and recognized by both leading Korean dog societies, the Korean Canine Club (an FCI affiliate) and the Korean Kennel Club, but the only Korean dog that has official international recognition is the Jindo.

Image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information