Korea promotes ban on dog meat consumption

Artwork: USA Today

This 21-member committee was established in December 2021 with the task of making compromise policy recommendations on dog meat consumption for the incoming Korean government to implement solutions to the problem. this, including governing relevant laws.

According to the committee, the members have found in common that ending dog meat consumption is in line with the trend of the times, but have not yet reached a consensus. Therefore, the decision to extend the committee’s activities was made to give the committee more time to reach a broad consensus.

In accordance with the previous decision, the commission expired in April. During its operation, the commission carried out a nationwide field survey of dog farms and conducted exploration. public awareness of the issue as part of efforts to reach agreement.

Dogs are not only pets, they are also considered the best friends of humans. In Korea, there are many dog ​​farms that provide meat that are still in operation. Therefore, animal rights activists believe that the tradition of eating dog meat in this country needs to change. However, advocates of dog meat consumption argue that people should have the freedom to choose what they eat.

South Korea has a new Animal Protection Law, mainly to prevent the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats, and not related to the consumption of dog meat.

A survey conducted in November 2021 showed that 48.9% of respondents opposed banning dog meat, while 38.6% supported it.

During the election campaign, President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol spoke out against the eating and trade of dog meat, but said banning the centuries-old practice by law requires the consent of society.