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South Korea's dog meat ban looms, leaving fate of thousands of dogs uncertain

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • South Korea's ban on the dog meat trade, set to take effect in February next year, has led to a rapid decline in the industry, with most of the estimated 400,000 to 450,000 farmed dogs' whereabouts now unknown.
  • While the government offers subsidies for farmers to transition away from raising dogs for consumption, tracking the dogs' destinations has been inadequate, with few being adopted or sent to shelters.
  • Animal rights groups and former farmers express anger and concern, suspecting that many dogs have been slaughtered due to a lack of resources for rescue and the government's perceived rushed implementation of the law without sufficient support for livelihoods.

South Korea's upcoming ban on the dog meat trade, scheduled to take effect in February next year, has caused the industry to shrink dramatically. However, the fate of hundreds of thousands of dogs previously raised for consumption remains uncertain, with former farmers and animal rights groups suspecting that the majority have already been slaughtered.

This possibility is outrageous.

— Kim Young-hwanA representative from the animal rights group CARE, commenting on the suspected fate of dogs no longer being farmed.

The legislation, enacted in January 2024, prohibits the farming, slaughter, and sale of dogs for meat, carrying a potential penalty of up to three years in prison for violations. Government data from 2024 indicated that approximately 400,000 to 450,000 dogs were being farmed for consumption nationwide. Current estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture suggest that only about 20,000 dogs remain on farms.

While the government has provided subsidies of up to 600,000 won (approximately $430) per dog to encourage farmers to cease operations, authorities have not effectively tracked the destination of these animals. Records show that as of February, only 623 dogs had been adopted, and fewer than 500 were sent to shelters. This lack of oversight has fueled concerns among animal welfare organizations.

I think those dogs whose whereabouts are unknown have likely already been eaten.

— Ju Yeong-bongA former dog farmer, expressing his belief about the fate of dogs affected by the ban.

Kim Young-hwan, a representative from the animal rights group CARE, described the potential slaughter of these dogs as "outrageous" but acknowledged the limited resources of domestic groups to rescue more animals. Ju Yeong-bong, a former dog farmer, told Agence France-Presse that he believes the dogs whose whereabouts are unknown have "likely already been eaten." He criticized the policy as being politically driven, lacking meaningful dialogue, and failing to adequately protect farmers' livelihoods. Many former farmers are attempting to transition to other livestock, but the government's lengthy approval process for such changes has proven to be a significant hurdle.

This policy was pushed through for political reasons, without meaningful dialogue, and without sufficient measures to protect our livelihoods.

— Ju Yeong-bongA former dog farmer, criticizing the implementation of the dog meat ban.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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