South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said on Friday.
The Korean practice of eating dog has drawn criticism from overseas for its cruelty but there has also been increasing opposition at home, particularly from the younger generation.
“It is time to put an end to social conflicts and controversies around dog meat consumption through the enactment of a special act to end it,” Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People Power Party, said at a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists.
The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament.
Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun told the meeting the government would implement a ban quickly and provide the maximum possible support for those in the dog meat industry to close their businesses.
First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs.
Anti-dog meat bills have failed in the past because of protests by those involved in the industry, and worry about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners.
The proposed ban will include a three-year grace period and financial support for businesses to transition out of the trade.
Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat.
But it is much less common than it used to be in South Korea, though it is still eaten by some older people and served in certain restaurants.
Animal rights groups welcomed the prospect of a ban. “A dream come true for all of us who have campaigned so hard to end this cruelty,” Humane Society International said in a statement.
There are about dog 1,150 breeding farms, 34 slaughter houses, 219 distribution companies, and some 1,600 restaurants serving dog, according to government data.
A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption. The survey found only 8% of respondents had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27% in 2015.
South Korea to ban eating dogs
South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said today.
The Korean practice of eating dogs has drawn criticism from overseas for its cruelty but there has also been increasing opposition at home, particularly from the younger generation.
“It is time to put an end to social conflicts and controversies around dog meat consumption through the enactment of a special act to end it,” Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People Power Party, said at a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists.
The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament.
Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun told the meeting the government would implement a ban quickly and provide the maximum possible support for those in the dog meat industry to close their businesses.
First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs.
Anti-dog meat bills have failed in the past because of protests by those involved in the industry, and worry about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners.
The proposed ban will include a three-year grace period and financial support for businesses to transition out of the trade.
Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat.
But it is much less common than it used to be in South Korea, though it is still eaten by some older people and served in certain restaurants.
Animal rights groups welcomed the prospect of a ban. “A dream come true for all of us who have campaigned so hard to end this cruelty,” Humane Society International said in a statement.
There are about dog 1,150 breeding farms, 34 slaughter houses, 219 distribution companies, and some 1,600 restaurants serving dog, according to government data.
A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64 percent opposed dog meat consumption. The survey found only eight percent of respondents had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27 percent in 2015.
The ruling People Power Party on Friday laid out a timetable for action.
“We are planning to enact a Special Act to ban dog meat within this year to address this issue as soon as possible,” said ruling party lawmaker Yu Eui-dong, after a meeting at parliament attended by the Agriculture Ministry officials and animal rights groups.
The special act will allow a three-year period to phase out the industry. If the bill passes the legislature before the year-end, the dog meat ban would come into full effect in 2027.
The law will require dog farms, slaughterers, traders and restaurants to each submit a phaseout plan to local authorities.
“We will provide full support to farmers, butchers and other businesses facing closure or transition due to this law,” Yu said, adding that compensation will be limited to legally registered businesses that submit the plan.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the president, and first lady Kim Keon Hee are known as animal-lovers, having six dogs and five cats. Kim attended an animal rights event in August and said that “dog meat consumption should come to an end … in an era when humans and pets coexist as friends.”
Animal rights groups welcomed Friday’s announcement and urged the South Korean parliament to pass the bill.
“News that the South Korean government is at last poised to ban the dog meat industry is like a dream come true for all of us who have campaigned so hard to end this cruelty,” said Chae Jung-ah of the Humane Society International, who attended the parliamentary meeting. “Korean society has reached a tipping point where most people now reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books.”
But Joo Young-bong, head of the Korea Dog Meat Farmers’ Association, said the government proposal is “unviable.” “Transitioning off our lifelong job is a difficult and unsustainable option for us farmers in 60s or 70s,” he said in an interview.
The industry should be able to sustain itself for at least two decades, as long as consumers of dog meat, mainly in their 50s or older, exist in the country, Joo said. The voices of farmers and other industry stakeholders have been largely left out of the ongoing policy discussion on a dog meat ban, he said.
According to a government study last year, South Korea has about 1,150 dog farms and over half a million dogs raised for meat, a significantly smaller figure than decades ago. The declining demand for dog meat reflects a shift in public perception along with growing pet ownership in South Korea.
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