![Neukgu, the wolf that escaped from Daejeon O'World on April 8 and was recaptured nine days later, picks at ground beef and chicken mince while glancing around its enclosure on April 20. [Daejeon O'World]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/03/rcv.YNA.20260420.PYH2026042020450006301_P1.jpg)
Daejeon O'World, which has been closed since a wolf named Neukgu escaped from the zoo, will reopen Friday.
The Geum River Basin Environmental Office, the regulatory body overseeing O'World, sent the zoo a formal reopening authorization on Tuesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The decision followed an on-site inspection confirming that O'World had fully carried out the facility improvement measures ordered on May 29, with no outstanding issues found.
The Daejeon Urban Corporation, which operates O'World, received a suspension order from the Geum River Basin Environmental Office on April 20 and was directed to submit a corrective action plan and a completion report within one month. It submitted the action plan to the environmental office on May 18.
The corporation said it had completed reinforcement work, including doubling the wire fencing and electric lines around the wolf enclosure and laying concrete beneath the soil to account for the wolves' burrowing behavior.
Neukgu is in good health, the corporation said.
The closure, which stretched to nearly two months, affected 11 tenants inside the park — including cafes, restaurants, a character shop and a convenience store. The corporation said it plans to assess the losses objectively and provide compensation soon.
dandy@heraldcorp.com
