South Korea bans dog meat industry

South Korean animal rights activists stage a rally opposing the culture of eating dog meat. Photo / AP

South Korea’s parliament has passed a bill banning the breeding, slaughtering and selling of dogs for their meat.

The national assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the move, which will come into effect after a three-year grace period and pending final approval from Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president.

Breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for their meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($366,300) in fines.

Dog meat has been a part of South Korean cuisine for centuries and at its height, up to a million dogs were believed to be killed for the trade every year, but recently consumption has sharply declined as Koreans embrace pet ownership in droves.

Activists have long called the practice an embarrassment for the country.

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Eating dog meat is something of a taboo among younger, urban South Koreans and pressure from animal rights campaigners to outlaw the trade has been mounting on the Government in recent years.

Official support for a ban has grown under Yeol, a self-professed animal lover who has adopted several stray dogs and cats with Kim Keon Hee, the first lady – who is herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.

‘History in the making’

Activists welcomed the bill, calling it “history in the making”.

JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, said in a statement: “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.

“While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future,” she added.

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In a survey released on Monday by Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, nine out of 10 people in South Korea said they would not eat dog meat in the future.

Previous efforts to ban dog meat have run into fierce opposition from farmers who breed dogs for consumption. The new law will provide compensation so businesses can move out of the trade.

Summertime treat

Around 1100 dog farms breed hundreds of thousands of dogs each year, which are served in restaurants across the country, according to government figures.

Dog meat is usually eaten in South Korea as a summertime delicacy, with the greasy red meat – invariably boiled for tenderness – believed to increase energy to help handle the heat.

The country’s current animal protection law is intended mainly to prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs and cats, but does not ban consumption itself.

Nonetheless, authorities have invoked the law and other hygiene regulations to crack down on dog farms and restaurants ahead of international events such as the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games.