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Journalism of Courage
The South Korean parliament on Tuesday (January 9) passed a Bill banning the production and sale of dog meat, in a decision that campaigners hailed as a “historic victory” for animal welfare. Although the Bill does not criminalise the consumption of dog meat, it aims to ban the sale, distribution, butchery, and breeding of dogs for their meat by 2027.
Why has the Bill been passed now?
Consuming dog meat in South Korea is a centuries-old practice. A report by the BBC said, historically, cows were highly valued and so prized that people had to obtain a government permit to slaughter them up until the late 19th Century. Therefore, dog meat became the best source of protein and was enjoyed by people across the class spectrum.
In recent years, however, the practice has been increasingly shunned as incomes, pet ownership and concern for animal welfare spiked steadily. About 93% of South Korean adults said they didn’t want to consume dog meat in the future, and 82% said they supported a ban, according to a survey conducted last year by Aware, an animal welfare organisation in Seoul, The New York Times reported.
Therefore, it didn’t come as a surprise when in November 2023, the ruling People Power Party with rare bipartisan support proposed a Bill to ban the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption.
The Bill also found strong support from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon. Both the President and his wife, known to be animal lovers and owners themselves, campaigned for the ban and said that outlawing the custom was one of the presidential priorities.
What does the Bill say?
The Bill intends to prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs without actually banning their consumption. According to activists, dogs are electrocuted or hanged when slaughtered for meat. Breeders and traders, however, have argued that slaughtering has become more humane in recent years.
Its provisions will be implemented in 2027, following a three-year grace period for dog farm owners, meat restaurants, and other workers in the trade to close their businesses or find alternative sources of employment.
Under the Bill, slaughtering dogs for consumption can attract fines of up to 30 million won (approximately Rs 19 lakh) or imprisonment of up to three years. Selling and breeding dogs for consumption can also attract a 2-year prison sentence or a fine of 20 million won (Rs 12.58 lakh).
As of April 2022, South Korea’s agriculture ministry had estimated that 1,100 farms were breeding 570,000 dogs to be served at around 1,600 restaurants in the country. The new law requires all such legally registered dog farms, slaughterers, traders, and restaurants to submit their phaseout plans to local authorities, outlining how they plan to shut down operations or transition to another industry. Based on this, it will be decided which businesses are eligible for government compensation. However, the details of what compensation will be offered are yet to be worked out, the BBC said.
What other countries have this law?
Once the Bill gets approval from the President, South Korea will join the growing list of Asian countries and territories that have banned the dog meat trade. These include Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Is dog meat trade allowed in India?
Yes, it is. But there has been some pushback.
In July 2020, Nagaland announced a ban on the import, trading, and sale of dog meat in the state. However, in June last year, the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court quashed the order observing dog consumption “to be an accepted norm” among the Nagas even in modern times.
