South Korea officially passes law banning dog meat consumption
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Reuters news agency, the South Korean National Assembly on January 9 passed a bill banning the eating and selling of dog meat. This move officially bans the controversial practice that has existed for centuries, in the context of a growing number of South Koreans supporting the protection of animal rights.
Eating dog meat was once considered a way to boost stamina during the hot and humid summers in South Korea. But the practice has now largely died out – mostly among older people – amid growing numbers of South Koreans keeping dogs as family pets and growing criticism of the slaughter.
Although dog meat farmers and traders say things have changed and that the slaughter of dogs is now more humane, support for the ban has grown under President Yoon Suk Yeol, an animal lover who has adopted six dogs and eight cats. The South Korean president, along with his wife, Kim Keon Hee, has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.
Proposed by the ruling party, the bill was passed with 208 votes in favor and 2 abstentions in the South Korean National Assembly, after the bipartisan Agriculture Committee approved it on January 8.
The law will take effect after a three-year grace period. Violators will face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,800).
Previous attempts to ban dog meat in South Korea have failed due to opposition from breeders and businesses in the industry, and the newly passed bill seeks to provide compensation so businesses can switch operations, Reuters reported.
In November 2023, a group of about 200 people who raise dogs for consumption held a protest near the South Korean Presidential Office, demanding the bill be repealed.
South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture estimates that as of April 2022, there are about 1,100 farms raising 570,000 dogs to serve at about 1,600 restaurants.
Meanwhile, an association of dog meat breeders and traders said the ban would affect 3,500 farms raising 1.5 million dogs as well as 3,000 restaurants in South Korea.
