New bill bans dog meat trade

SOUTH Korea’s parliament yesterday passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have called an embarrassment for the country.

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, and at one point up to a million dogs were killed for the trade every year, according to activists. But consumption has sharply declined recently as Koreans embrace pet ownership in droves.

Eating dog meat is a taboo among younger, urban South Koreans, and pressure on the government to outlaw the practice from animal rights activists has been mounting.

Official support for a ban has grown under President Yoon Suk Yeol, a self-professed animal lover who has adopted several stray dogs and cats with First Lady Kim Keon-hee – herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.

The bill, which was proposed by both the ruling and main opposition parties, was passed unanimously by a 208-0 vote. It will come into effect following a three-year grace period after it receives final approval from Yoon.

Under the law, breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for their meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won (about R423 000) in fines.

“Now there is no longer any justification for being criticised as a ‘dog-eating country’,” said Thae Yong-ho, a ruling People Power Party lawmaker who proposed the bill. “The ruling and opposition parties and the government must now take the lead in protecting ... animal rights,” he said.

Activists also welcomed the bill, saying it was “history in the making”.

“We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books,” said JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea.

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.

Yesterday’s vote was a pioneering decision globally, said activist group Animal Liberation Wave, adding it would pave the way for protecting the rights of other animals.

“The journey towards a ‘dog meatfree Republic of Korea’ can be a starting point for not only liberating dogs, but presenting different standards.”