Dog meat sellers file petition with top court over trade ban

Korea’s dog meat industry representatives urged the top court to nullify the recent ban on dog meat trade and consumption in Seoul, Tuesday, arguing the special act is unconstitutional and infringes on people’s basic rights.

Some 50 members of the Korean Association of Edible Dog, a group with nearly 1,000 members nationwide, said the dog meat ban that passed the National Assembly in a rare moment of political unity in January “infringes upon people’s rights to choose what they eat and their freedom to choose their profession,” during a press conference in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul.

“The National Assembly and the government passed the special act without any discussion, preparation or compensation plan (for industry stakeholders) in advance,” Ju Yeong-bong, secretary general of the group, said during the press conference.

Nearly 50 days have passed since the legislation was passed, but dog meat farmers and sellers are “on the brink of ending up on the streets” due to a lack of progress in a state-led plan to set compensation standards for dog meat traders, Ju said.

The association filed a petition on behalf of the country’s dog meat farmers, retailers and consumers, saying that “animal welfare for pet dogs and edible dogs cannot be discussed on the same page.”

“Animal welfare for pet dogs and edible dogs cannot be discussed on the same page.”

They added the tradition of dog meat consumption in Korea is a “mere cultural difference.”

An animal advocacy group held a press conference following that of dog meat traders and said such cruelty to live animals must not be tolerated.

The law, set to go into effect in 2027, outlaws farming and slaughtering dogs for human consumption and distribution of dog meat.

By the first half of 2024, stakeholders in the dog meat industry, including farmers, retailers and restaurant owners, are to register their businesses and submit plans to downsize and eventually close down their establishments to local municipalities.

Yonhap Runaway ostrich An ostrich gallops on the road in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, after escaping from an ecological park. Police and firefighters captured the animal at a factory building site nearby.