South Korea moves to ban eating dogs
President is animal lover
THE president of South Korea looks set to ban the eating of dog meat.
The disturbing practice is increasingly frowned upon in the country as the number of pet owners increases.
Moon Jae-in suggested in a meeting with his prime minister that a ban could be announced within days.
A spokesman said he asked Kim Boo-kyum: “Hasn’t the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?”
Dog meat used to be commonly eaten in summer, either roasted or in a soup called bosintang, which is believed by some to be beneficial to health in hot weather.
But restaurants specialising in the dish are becoming scarce and their customers increasingly elderly.
Almost four in five South Koreans believe the slaughter and sale of dog and cat meat should be banned, a poll found this month. Just under half believed consumption of the meat should be a crime.
The number of pet dogs and cats rose from 2.57 million to 6.38 million, in a population of 52 million between 2015 and last year.
Animal lover President Moon and his wife, Kim Jungsook, have several dogs and cats, including strays, in the presidential Blue House.
Local governments have been closing down dog farms and slaughterhouses.
Laws have been introduced to reduce cruelty such as hanging live animals up and beating them to tenderise their meat, but such protections are unevenly enforced.
Nara Kim, of Humane Society International, said: “I welcome these words from President Moon and hope it signals the beginning of the end for the brutal industry.
“These dogs live a dreadful existence, locked in cages their whole lives, most in a pitiful state of malnutrition, skin disease and fear, only to be painfully electrocuted often in front of each other.
“It’s like a living nightmare, all to produce a meat most Koreans don’t want to eat.”