Seoul (AFP) – South Korea's Parliament approved a law on Tuesday that prohibits the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for meat consumption, a traditional practice that many activists considered shameful for the country.
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The text had 208 votes in favor and none against in the National Assembly. It will take effect after a three-year grace period upon receiving final approval from President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Breeding and killing dogs, as well as selling their meat for consumption, will be punishable by up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won ($23,000).
Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine. It is estimated that consumption reached up to a million dogs annually, but it has recently been drastically reduced in parallel with the growing adoption of these animals as pets.
Eating dog meat is currently taboo among South Korea's urban youth and animal rights activists had increased their pressure for the government to ban the practice.
“The majority wants to see this suffering restricted to the history books”
The Administration's support was strengthened by President Yoon, an animal lover who has adopted numerous stray dogs and cats, and First Lady Kim Keon Hee, an outspoken critic of dog meat consumption.
“The majority of Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering restricted to the history books, and today our politicians have acted decisively to make this a reality,” JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, said in a statement.
In a survey released Monday by an animal welfare organization, nine out of ten people in South Korea said they would not eat dog meat in the future.
The new law contemplates compensation for these businesses so that they can dedicate themselves to another activity.
Around 1,100 farms raise hundreds of thousands of dogs annually, which are then served in restaurants across the country, according to government data.
Its meat is considered a summer delicacy in South Korea because its red, fatty meat is believed to increase energy and help withstand the heat.
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