Seoul, South Korea CNN —
South Korea's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday banning the breeding and slaughter of dogs for consumption, ending the traditional but controversial practice of eating dog meat after years of nationwide debate.
The bill received rare bipartisan support in South Korea's divided political landscape, highlighting how attitudes toward dog consumption have changed in recent decades as the country's rapid industrialization.
According to the relevant committee of the National Assembly, the law will prohibit the distribution and sale of foods made or processed with dog ingredients.
However, customers who consume dog meat or related products will not be penalized. This means that the law is primarily aimed at those who work in the industry, such as dog breeders or sellers.
According to the law, anyone who slaughters a dog for food can be punished with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million Korean won (about $23,000). Anyone who breeds dogs for food or knowingly purchases, transports, stores or sells food produced by dogs will face reduced penalties and prison sentences.
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Caged dogs are seen in a truck during a protest by dog breeders against the government's attempt to ban the consumption of dog meat in Seoul on November 30, 2023.
According to the committee, farm owners, dog meat restaurants and other workers in the dog trade have a three-year grace period to close or change their businesses. Local governments will be required to help these business owners transition to other businesses in a “stable” manner.
The bill will now be sent to President Yoon Suk Yeol for final approval. It was proposed by both Yoon's ruling party and the main opposition party and received vocal support from first lady Kim Keon Hee, who owns several dogs and visited an animal welfare organization during a presidential state visit to the Netherlands in December.
Like parts of Vietnam and southern China, South Korea has a long history of eating dog meat. Traditionally, in South Korea it was considered a food that could help people beat the heat in summer, and it was also a cheap and readily available source of protein at a time when poverty rates were far higher.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there are about 1,100 dog farms operating for food in South Korea, and about half a million dogs are bred on these farms.
But the practice has also come under criticism in recent decades, especially animal rights activists; International human rights groups such as Humane Society International (HSI) have worked to rescue dogs from South Korean farms and relocate them abroad.
The number of South Koreans eating dog meat has also fallen dramatically as pet ownership becomes more common. Dog meat consumers now skew older, while younger, more urban South Koreans tend to deviate, reflecting similar trends elsewhere in Asia.
In a 2022 Gallup Korea poll, 64% of respondents were against eating dog meat – a significant increase from a similar survey in 2015. The number of respondents who had eaten dog meat in the past year was also up from 27% declined in 2015 to just 8% in 2022.
Official statistics showed that between 2005 and 2014, the number of restaurants serving dogs in the capital Seoul fell by 40% due to declining demand.
“Our perception of dog meat consumption and animals in general has changed over the past few decades,” said Lee Sang-kyung, dog meat ban campaign manager at HSI Korea.
“It used to be popular when our food resources were scarce, like during the Korean War, but as the economy develops and people's perceptions about animals and our food consumption, our food choices and other things change, then I think it's the right time to move with the times.”
He added that the bill's passage Monday was due in part to increased political will, which is “growing with the first lady's interest.”
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Dog breeders clash with police officers during a protest on November 30, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
But the bill is also facing fierce opposition from dog breeders and business owners who say it will destroy their livelihoods and traditions.
In November, dozens of dog breeders and breeders gathered outside the presidential office in Seoul to protest the law – many bringing their breeding dogs in cages to be released at the scene, according to Portal. There were scuffles between the farmers and the police on site, with some demonstrators being arrested.
One of those dog breeders, Lee Kyeong-sig, told Portal last November: “If I have to close, given the financial situation I'm in, there's really no answer as to what I can do… I'm already on it.” 12 years and it’s so sudden.”
In a November press release, the Korean Dog Meat Association accused the government of threatening to trample the industry and submit the bill “without a single discussion or communication” with dog meat consumers or workers.
“No one has the right to deprive 10 million (dog meat consumers) of their right to food and the right to survival of 1 million livestock farmers and workers,” the release said.
However, Lee, the HSI manager, was optimistic that the bill's grace period and relief measures would help keep dog breeders afloat.
“From our experience speaking with industry workers at HSI, we knew that the majority of dog meat farmers and butchers want to leave the industry but don’t know how to leave the industry,” he said.
“But now with the bill, a compensation package (and) financial support from the government, I think it’s the right time to leave the industry for them too.”