▲ Rui Bao and Hui Bao, twin pandas staying at Everland, an amusement park in Yongin, just south of Seoul, are seen in this photo provided by Samsung C&T Corp., the operator of Everland. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

YONGIN, South Korea, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Twin pandas born at a South Korean amusement park in Yongin, just south of Seoul, will be sent to China in the third week of December, a park official said Wednesday.

China has ownership of all pandas, including those born outside of China, and sends them to other countries only on a lease basis.

Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were born in South Korea on July 7, 2023, will leave before they turn four, when pandas' reproductive maturity begins, as required.

Everland amusement park said the exact travel date and destination will be finalized based on factors including their health. The park plans to host farewell programs for visitors.

"We ask for your great interest and warm support for the twin pandas' new start," a park official said.

Previously, their older sister, Fu Bao, who triggered a massive fandom craze in South Korea, returned to China in April 2024 before reaching her fourth birthday.

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