South Korea to ban dog meat
Consuming dog meat has declined in popularity in South Korea.
South Korea’s National Assembly has passed a law to ban the production and sale of dog meat for human consumption, which will bring to an end a centuries-old practice.
The legislation was voted through on Tuesday, 9 January, by 208 votes to 0. President Yoon Suk Yeol owns six pet dogs and his First Lady Kim Keon Hee has previously called for the practice to end.
Those breeding and selling dogs for consumption will face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million KRW (£12,000). Anyone caught slaughtering dogs for human consumption will face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million KRW (£18,000).
The legislation does not include any penalties for eating dog meat.
The ban will come into force in 2027, providing a three year grace period for those working in the dog meat industry to close their businesses or transition into alternative sectors.
In the build up to the passing of the bill, dog meat farmers held protests against the legislation.
Dog meat has long been part of Korean cuisine. A 2022 report by South Korea’s Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries found that around 388,000 dogs were consumed in about 1,600 restaurants each year in the country.
However, the popularity of dog meat has declined in recent decades, especially among younger people. An opinion pole conducted by Nielsen Korea in 2023 found that 86 per cent of South Koreans under 60 years old had little to no intention of eating dog meat in the future.
JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, said: “This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea, but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement.
“We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality.”
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