Amid growing awareness about animal rights, South Korea is planning to end the centuries-old practice of eating dog meat. According to a Reuters report, while this practice is being criticized abroad, there is growing disapproval of it in the country, especially among the younger generation. Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People’s Power Party, stressed during a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists that now is the time to end the controversies surrounding dog meat consumption by enacting a special act Is.
“It is time to end social conflicts and disputes by enacting a special act on dog meat consumption,” Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People’s Power Party, was quoted as saying by Reuters. Yu Eui-dong was speaking at a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists.
Yu said the government plans to introduce a bill this year to implement the ban and expects bipartisan support to pass the bill through Parliament. During the meeting, Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-kyun also announced that people involved in the dog meat industry will be given support to facilitate the closure of their businesses. The bill would include a three-year grace period and financial support for businesses as they make the transition.
The First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, have notably adopted several stray dogs. In the past, anti-dog meat consumption bills have failed after opposition from those involved in the industry and concerns about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners. There are about 1,150 dog breeding farms, 34 slaughterhouses, 219 distribution companies and about 1,600 restaurants serving dogs, Reuters reported, citing government figures.
Eating dog meat has been a centuries-old practice in the Korean Peninsula and is seen as a way to relieve the heat. However, it is now much less common and is eaten mostly by older generations and is only served in a few restaurants.
