Animal rights experts are urging the South Korean government to allocate sufficient administrative force and budget to enforce a crackdown on the age-old practice of consuming dog meat. The call comes amidst concerns that the industry might persist in the shadows despite a legal ban set to take effect in 2027.
The National Assembly recently passed a special bill on January 9, prohibiting the breeding, butchering, distribution, and sale of dogs for meat. Animal rights lawyer Park Joo-yeon, co-founder of People for Non-Human Rights (PNR), emphasized the need for the government to use its administrative power effectively to enforce the ban.
Park highlighted that the special bill provides local governments with more authority to conduct surveys, on-site inspections, and administer penalties to dog meat traders. She emphasized the government’s role in regulating the trade and resolving the legal ambiguities that existed in the past.
A 2022 government survey identified 1,156 dog farms in the country, raising over 520,000 dogs for meat consumption, with 1,666 restaurants selling over 388,000 dogs for food annually. As the industry faces a phase-out, experts stress the need for careful management to ensure the existing number of dogs does not increase during the three-year grace period.
The special bill requires dog meat farmers to sell their remaining stock or send them for adoption during this grace period. The government is currently devising a compensation plan, considering the possibility that farmers might breed more dogs to obtain additional support money.
Jo Hyun-jeong, head of the policy planning team at Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), echoed Park’s sentiments, urging the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to form a task force and develop a comprehensive plan to phase out the dog meat industry permanently.
The Korean Association of Edible Dog, representing dog meat farmers and restaurant owners, claims entitlement to support money of 2 million won ($1,522) per canine. However, the compensation sought by industry representatives, exceeding 1 trillion won, seems unlikely given the ministry’s budget constraints.
The fate of the remaining 520,000 dogs poses a significant challenge. While the special bill mandates the agriculture ministry to protect and manage dogs from closed farms, experts question the government’s capacity to do so. State-run animal shelters are already overwhelmed, and the traumatized nature of these dogs might hinder adoption efforts.
Cho Hee-kyung, head of the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), acknowledges the challenges and emphasizes domestic animal advocacy groups’ commitment to rescuing dogs and finding new families for them, despite the potential tragic costs associated with shutting down the industry to prevent future tragedies.
