South Korea's parliament passed a law on Tuesday banning the dog meat trade within three years. This is a historic change in this country, where many farms are still being fought by animal rights activists.
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The South Korean National Assembly adopted the text without objection (208 votes in favour, 2 abstentions, 0 against). It will come into effect within three years after being signed into law by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for consumption is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 30 million won (20,800 euros).
Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, but its consumption has declined sharply in recent years as more South Koreans adopt pets.
In a survey released Monday by the Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, nine out of 10 people in South Korea said they did not think they would eat dog meat in the future.
Activists welcomed a historic turning point, such as JungAh Chae, executive director of the Humane Society International/Korea organization.
“We have reached a turning point where most South Koreans reject the consumption of dog meat and want this suffering to be relegated to the history books,” she said, welcoming MPs’ decisive vote.
“It breaks my heart to think of the millions of dogs for whom change comes too late, but I am happy that South Korea can close this miserable chapter in our history and look forward to a dog-friendly future,” she said.
“There will no longer be any reason to treat us as a dog-eating country,” Thae Yong-ho, a lawmaker from the majority party that drafted the text, said in a press release.
Animal rights activists estimate that up to a million dogs could be slaughtered for food every year in South Korea.
Taboo
However, eating dog meat has become taboo among young urban residents and pressure has increased on the government to legislate on the issue.
With the election of President Yoon in 2022, support for a ban has increased. A self-confessed animal lover, he adopted several stray dogs and cats together with First Lady Kim Keon Hee, herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.
His predecessor Moon Jae-in, also known for his fondness for dogs, had already cautiously suggested banning their consumption in 2021.
He owned several, including Tory, who entered the Blue House, the presidential palace, as the first dog rescued from a feeder.
However, previous attempts at bans have long been met with strong resistance from breeders.
The bill passed on Tuesday also provides for compensation so that companies can withdraw from this industry.
According to official data, around 1,100 dog farms breed hundreds of thousands of dogs every year that are served in restaurants across the country.
Dog meat, red and fatty, systematically cooked to make it more tender. It is generally eaten as a summer delicacy as it is said to help combat the heat.
South Korea has an animal protection law. However, this is mainly limited to banning the cruel killing of dogs and cats without banning their consumption.
The authorities have repeatedly invoked this law and other hygiene regulations in the run-up to international events such as the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang to take action against dog farms and restaurants.
For the Animal Liberation Wave association, Tuesday's vote is “a starting point for the liberation of dogs, but also for examining other standards and a future for other animal species subject to industrial exploitation, such as cows, pigs, chickens.”