South Korea Plans To Ban Dog Meat Consumption, Ruling Party: Time To End Social Conflicts And Controversy

Illustration of dog meat sellers at Gyeongdong Market Seoul, South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/GaZel Chardon)

JAKARTA - South Korean authorities plan to implement a ban on consuming dog meat, ending the controversy over ancient habits amid growing awareness of animal rights, the ruling party's chief policy said on Friday.

The habit of consuming dog meat in the country of Ginseng has drawn criticism from abroad for its cruelty, as well as an increase in domestic rejection by the younger generation.

"It's time to end the social conflict and controversy surrounding the consumption of dog meat through the enactment of a special law to end it," said Yu Eui-dong, head of the People's Power Party policy at a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists.

Yu continued, the government and ruling parties will submit a bill this year to enforce the ban, adding that with the expected bipartisan support, the bill must be passed by parliament.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun said at the meeting, the government would soon implement the ban, providing the maximum possible support for dog meat industry players to close their businesses.

It is known that South Korean First Lady Kim Keon-hee has become a vocal critic of dog meat consumption. Together with her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol, they adopted stray dogs.

Previously, the anti-dog bill in the country failed to be agreed upon due to protests from parties involved in the dog meat industry, as well as concerns about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners.

The proposed ban will cover a three-year grace period and financial support for the business world to move from the dog meat trade.

Eating dog meat has been an ancient practice on the Korean peninsula, seen as a way to deal with summer summer.

However, this food is much less common than it used to be in South Korea, although this food is still eaten by some elderly people and served in certain restaurants.

Animal rights groups welcomed the possibility of the ban.

"A dream come true for all of us who have campaigned hard to end this cruelty," Humane Society International said in a statement.

South Korean government data shows that there are around 1,150 dog farms, 34 slaughterhouses, 219 distribution companies and around 1,600 restaurants serving the dog meat menu.

Last year's Korean Gallup poll showed 64 percent of respondents opposed dog meat consumption. Meanwhile, those who have consumed dog meat in the past year have only 8 percent or decreased 27 percent compared to 2015.