Eating dog meat was once considered a means of improving stamina in the humid Korean summer. Nowadays this practice has become increasingly rare, dog meat was only eaten by older generations and was only served in some restaurants. Many Koreans consider dogs to be pets, which has fueled criticism against the practice.
According to government data, one in four Korean families will have a dog in 2022, up from 16% in 2010.
Support for the ban has also grown under President Yoon Suk-yeol, a known animal lover and owner of six dogs and eight cats. First lady Kim Keon-hee is also an outspoken critic of dog meat consumption.
The bill was approved by the unicameral parliament with an overwhelming majority of 208 votes in favor and two abstentions.
The law will come into force after a three-year grace period. Breeding and killing dogs for meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or a hefty fine of 30 million yen (over 190,000 euros). In any case, the bill does not provide sanctions for those who eat dog meat.
The Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education released the results of a survey on Monday in which more than 94 percent of respondents said they had not eaten dog meat in the past year. About 93% said they would not do so in the future.
Other polls have shown that about 56% of respondents support the ban.
Previous attempts to ban the sale of dog meat have failed due to protests from dog breeders. The bill also aims to provide compensation for dog meat companies to exit the business.
The farmers’ association said the ban would affect 3,500 farms, which raise 1.5 million dogs, and 3,000 restaurants.
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2024-01-09 14:19:49
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