South Korea’s parliament approved legislation on Tuesday that prohibits the breeding, slaughtering, and sale of dogs for their meat, a traditional but controversial practice criticized by activists as shameful for the country.
Dog meat has been a longstanding part of South Korean cuisine, with activists estimating that up to a million dogs were annually killed for the trade. However, recent years have witnessed a significant decline in consumption as more South Koreans enthusiastically embrace pet ownership.
Among younger, urban South Koreans, consuming dog meat is considered taboo, and mounting pressure from animal rights activists has pushed the government to outlaw the practice.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, an animal enthusiast who, along with First Lady Kim Keon-hee, has adopted several stray dogs and cats, has contributed to the growing official support for the ban. The bill received unanimous approval with a 208-0 vote, proposed jointly by both ruling and opposition parties.
The legislation, after a final endorsement from President Yoon following a three-year grace period, will criminalize breeding, selling, or slaughtering dogs for their meat, carrying penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment or fines of 30 million won ($23,000).
“Now there is no longer any justification for being criticised as a ‘dog-eating country’,” said Thae Yong-ho, a ruling People Power Party lawmaker who proposed the bill.
“The ruling and opposition parties and the government must now take the lead in protecting… animal rights,” he said in a statement.
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