Almost 80 Percent of Dog Meat Sellers in South Korea Close Their Businesses

JAKARTA - The majority of dog meat outlets and sellers in South Korea have closed their businesses, ahead of the penalties that will be imposed by the local government.

Nearly 80 percent of dog meat farms in the Ginseng Country have closed by December 2025 according to local authorities, indicating a rapid closure rate ahead of the government's plan to start punishing violators in February 2027.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, a total of 125 dog meat farms were closed between August 7 and December 21 this year, while the number of dogs bred for consumption decreased by 47,544 during the same period.

As a result, 1,204 of 1,537 registered farms, or 78 percent, have now closed since the Special Law on the Termination of Breeding, Slaughter, and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption was enacted in February last year, a month after the National Assembly passed the law.

The figures are higher than the government's target for the period, which aims to close 58 farms and reduce the number of dogs by 26,000.

The government said the gradual elimination of the dog meat industry was going faster than expected, adding that they would try to prevent farmers from continuing dog meat operations and move the dogs from the remaining farms before the ban took effect.

"The government's goal is to make Korea a country with advanced animal welfare. We urge those who have not closed their businesses to do so immediately," said the head of the Animal Welfare and Environment Policy Bureau, which operates under the Ministry of Agriculture, reported by The Korea Times (1/2).

When the law was introduced, the government gave a three-year grace period to encourage farms to voluntarily close their businesses. The law came into force in August last year and the government has offered subsidies and consulting support for those who close their businesses or switch to other types of farming.

When the grace period expires in February 2027, those who slaughter dogs for consumption will face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($20,761). Breeding, breeding, distributing, or selling dogs for food will be punished with up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

To encourage voluntary culling, the government has implemented a phased elimination initiative in six stages, each with specific goals for the number of farms and dogs to be removed from the industry.

In the first phase, from August 2024 to February this year, 611 farms were closed and the number of dogs was reduced by 152,000. In the second phase, from February 7 to August 6, 468 farms were closed and about 194,000 dogs were destroyed.

Because almost 80 percent of farms had been closed before the third phase, the government estimates that the goal of ending dog farms for consumption will be achieved sooner than scheduled.

This rapid progress is due to an incentive system, in which the government provides higher subsidies to farms that close early. The Ministry of Agriculture offers 600,000 won per dog to those who close in the first period and a lower amount for the subsequent periods, with the lowest subsidy of 225,000 won for farms that close in the last closure period.

Gyeonggi Province recorded the highest number of closures, with 236 farms closed and 104,000 dogs released since the start of the gradual elimination. North Gyeongsang Province ranked second with 217 farms and 55,000 dogs, followed by North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong Provinces with 166 farms and 137 farms, respectively. These regions now have business closure rates before the ban between 75 percent and 85 percent.

As of December 2025, 333 farms with 37,000 dogs are still operating across the country.