Cheong "Expanding the Scope of Animal Abuse and Strengthening Punishments... Considering Restrictions on Pet Ownership"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Blue House responded to the national petition demanding investigation and punishment for the 'cat abuse open chatroom' by stating, "We will expand the scope of animal abuse and strengthen punishments." They also plan to consider restrictions on pet ownership as a measure to prevent recurrence.

Jeong Gi-soo, Secretary for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the Blue House, stated in response to the petition on the 23rd, "A strict investigation will be conducted into allegations of killing animals and posting abusive acts," affirming this stance.

This petition, which garnered a total of 275,492 signatures, calls for punishment of animal abusers who mistreated animals by shooting stray cats because they disliked their meowing sounds and shared abuse videos in open chatrooms, as well as for strengthening the Animal Protection Act.

The Blue House revealed that the police are currently identifying suspects and investigating the case, and expressed intentions to promote legal and institutional improvements to eradicate animal abuse in the future.

They are first reviewing ways to expand the scope of animal abuse. Secretary Jeong said, "The current Animal Protection Act defines animal abuse acts in a limited and enumerated manner, which has been pointed out as a limitation for punishment," adding, "We will improve the law and subordinate statutes in an illustrative and comprehensive way to cover various abusive acts and strengthen the breeding management obligations of owners and others."

They also promised to strengthen punishments and prevent recurrence. Secretary Jeong emphasized, "To reflect the changed social perception of animal abuse, we will request the Supreme Court Sentencing Commission to establish sentencing guidelines related to animal abuse," and added, "To prevent recurrence of animal abuse, we will include in the revision of the Animal Protection Act measures such as ordering attendance in courses and treatment programs for convicted individuals as part of their punishment, and will also consider opinions on restricting pet ownership."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.