South Korea Passes Bill Outlawing Dog Meat Production, Sales

The South Korean parliament enacted legislation on Tuesday, January 9, prohibiting the breeding and killing of dogs for human food. This now puts an end to the long-standing but divisive practice of consuming dog meat.

Despite South Korea's deeply divided political environment, the measure managed to garner rare bipartisan support, shedding light on the dramatic shift in public opinion toward dog consumption brought about by the country's fast industrialization in the previous years.

(Photo: JUNG YEON-JE / AFP via Getty Images) Animal rights activists hold placards during a rally welcoming a bill banning the dog meat trade at the National Assembly in Seoul on January 9, 2024. South Korea's parliament on January 9, passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering, and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have long called an embarrassment for the country.

Ban on Production and sales of Dog Meat

In a report by CNN, the relevant committee of the National Assembly has reported that items containing dog components would be illegal to distribute and sell. Those involved in the sector, such as dog breeders or vendors, will be the primary targets of the law. Consumers who eat dog meat or anything linked to it would be exempt.

Anyone found guilty of killing a dog for food might face a punishment of up to 30 million Korean won (about $23,000) or three years in jail, according to the law. The penalties for breeding dogs for human consumption are severe, and so are the consequences for anyone who intentionally procures, transports, stores, or sells dog-based foods.

The committee has decided to provide anyone involved in the dog trade, including farms, restaurants serving dog meat, and others, a three-year window to either adapt their business structure or shut down. It is the responsibility of the local government to assist such company owners in making a stable transition to other enterprises.

President Yoon Suk Yeol will now decide whether or not to sign the measure into law. Both Yoon's governing and major opposition parties put up the idea, and First Lady Kim Keon Hee—who has a number of dogs of her own—has vocally backed it.

South Korea's Contentious Tradition

Dog meat consumption is traditional in South Korea, as it is in many regions of Vietnam and southern China. It has long been believed that this cuisine could protect people from the summer heat while also providing them with a cheap and easily accessible protein supply during an era of extreme poverty.

South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs estimates that 1,100 dog farms are now raising around half a million dogs for human consumption.

However, animal rights advocates have been vocal in their condemnation of the practice in recent decades. Organizations like Humane Society International (HSI) have helped rescue dogs from farms in South Korea and bring them to other countries.

Since more and more South Koreans have pets, the proportion of the population that consumes dog meat has dropped significantly. Like in other parts of Asia, younger and more diverse South Koreans are increasingly turning their noses up at dog meat.