Details of the ban on dog meat in South Korea have become known

South Korea’s parliament passed a bill on Jan. 9 banning the breeding and slaughter of dogs for consumption, ending the traditional but controversial practice of eating dog meat after years of national debate.

As CNN notes, the bill has received rare support in South Korea’s divided political landscape, highlighting how attitudes toward eating dog have changed over the past few decades as the country has rapidly industrialized.

The law bans the distribution and sale of food products prepared or processed using dog meat ingredients, a relevant committee of the South Korean National Assembly said.

However, there is one catch: buyers who consume dog meat or related products will not be penalized – meaning the law will mainly target those working in the industry, such as those who raise dogs for meat or sellers. .

According to the bill, anyone who kills a dog for food could be punished with up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million Korean won (about $23,000). Anyone who breeds dogs for food or who knowingly purchases, transports, stores or sells products made from dogs also faces a fine and a lesser prison sentence.

According to the parliamentary committee, owners of farms, restaurants serving dog meat and other workers involved in the dog meat trade will receive a three-year grace period (that is, until 2027) to close or repurpose their business. Local authorities will be required to support these business owners in making a “sustainable” transition to other businesses.

The bill now goes to President Yoon Suk-yeol for final approval.

Like parts of Vietnam and southern China, South Korea has a long history of eating dog meat. In South Korea, it was traditionally seen as a food that could help people survive the summer heat, as well as a cheap and easily accessible source of protein at a time when poverty rates were much higher in the Land of Morning Freshness.

Scientists say dog ​​meat has never been a key part of the Korean diet. The level of its consumption and attitudes towards this practice have changed over time. It is unclear exactly when exactly Koreans first began eating dog meat, although many scholars place it in the Neolithic period (6000-2000 BC) along with other early East Asian civilizations. During the Silla (57 BC–935 AD) and Goryeo (918–1392 AD) dynasties, this practice was rare. During the Joseon period (1392-1897), there is evidence that dog meat was considered a kind of delicacy, although it was still not widely consumed. Some people reserved its use for special occasions, including hot summer days, funerals and 60th birthday celebrations, which were historically considered important.

In particular, dog meat lovers enjoy posinthan (or gaejangguk) soup, which is said to have a beneficial effect on male potency. To prepare this dish, dog meat is boiled with green onions, perilla and dandelion leaves, and spices.

The Korea Observer reported in 2015 that a number of domestic dog breeds are bred for food, including Labradors, retrievers and cocker spaniels, and that dogs slaughtered for meat often include former pets.

Be that as it may, eating dog meat is becoming more and more exotic every year. In 2019, fewer than 100 restaurants in Seoul served dog meat (out of over half a million restaurants in Greater Seoul!), and the number continued to decline each year. By 2019, all major dog meat markets had closed across South Korea, mainly due to declining sales. In 2021, the last major remaining dog meat market closed in the city of Daegu. Even earlier, in 2018, authorities closed the main dog slaughterhouse in the country.

This is not surprising: most Korean Buddhists view eating any kind of meat or dairy products as a moral offense. Surprisingly, Catholic Koreans, as a rule, consume dog meat more often than representatives of other religions in Korea.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there are about 1,100 dog farms operating for food in South Korea, and about half a million dogs are raised on these farms. But in recent decades, this practice has come under intense criticism both within the country and abroad. The number of South Koreans consuming dog meat has also dropped sharply as pet ownership has become more common in Korea. Dog meat consumers are now predominantly older, while young and urban South Koreans tend to avoid the product, reflecting similar trends in other parts of Asia.

In a 2022 Gallup Korea survey, 64% of respondents opposed eating dog meat, a notable increase from a similar survey in 2015. The number of respondents who ate dog meat in the past year also fell, from 27% in 2015 to just 8% in 2022. The number of restaurants serving dog food in the capital Seoul fell by 40% between 2005 and 2014 due to declining demand, according to official statistics.

“It was once popular when our food supply was scarce, like during the Korean War, but as the economy has developed and people’s attitudes toward animals and our food consumption and food choices and things have changed, I think now It’s time to move with the times,” says Lee Sang-kyung, director of the dog meat ban campaign.

Although both the ruling party and the opposition supported the bill, the innovation has met fierce resistance from dog breeders and business owners who say the initiative will deprive them of their livelihoods and destroy traditions. In November, dozens of dog breeders even gathered outside the presidential office in Seoul to protest the bill, with many bringing their farm-raised dogs in cages that they intended to release at the scene, Reuters reported. Scuffles broke out between farmers and police at the scene and some protesters were detained.

“No one has the right to deprive 10 million (dog meat consumers) of their right to food and the right to survival of 1 million livestock owners and dog workers,” the Korea Dog Meat Association said in a recent press release.