South Korea to Ban Dog Meat Eating

South Korea is planning to put a ban on the custom of dog meat eating in the country.

The Korean practice of eating dog has drawn much criticism from animal right activists for its cruelty. The South Korean younger generation is also opposed to this practice.

“It is time to put an end to social conflicts and controversies around dog meat consumption through the enactment of a special act to end it,” Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People Power Party, said at a meeting with government officials and animal rights activists.

The Korean government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban on dog meat eating. Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun said that the government will provide the maximum possible support for those in the dog meat industry to close their businesses.

According to South Korean government data, there are about dog 1,150 breeding farms, 34 slaughter houses, 219 distribution companies, and some 1,600 restaurants serving dog, in the country.