Voices Raised for Animal Welfare Ahead of Local Elections... What Is the Reality of Animal Welfare Pledges?

Korea Animal Protection Alliance Holds Press Conference Urging Guarantee of Animal Welfare and Vegetarian Choice Rights
Nearly Half of Candidates from 17 Provincial Governors and Parliamentary Parties Lack Animal Welfare Pledges
Animal Welfare Pledges Focus Mainly on Pets... Farm, Laboratory, and Wild Animals Left in Policy Blind Spots
Experts Say "Treating Socially Vulnerable Animals Enables a Peaceful and Healthy Society"

The Korea Animal Protection Alliance held a "Performance Press Conference Urging Animal Welfare and the Guarantee of the Right to Choose Vegetarianism in the June 1 Local Elections" on the 30th in front of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The press conference proceeded in the order of reading the statement, chanting slogans, and performing a protest against animal abuse. Photo by Kang Woo-seok beedolll97@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Ahead of the June 1 local elections, voices are rising calling for the establishment of pledges related to animal welfare and the guarantee of animal rights. Nearly half of the 17 candidates for provincial governors have not announced any animal welfare pledges, and most of the announced pledges are limited to companion animals, leaving other animals such as farm, laboratory, and wild animals still in a blind spot regarding pledges.

On the 30th, the Korea Animal Protection Union (Protection Union) held a "Performance Press Conference Urging Animal Welfare and the Guarantee of Vegetarian Choice Rights in the June 1 Local Elections" in front of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The press conference proceeded with a statement reading, slogan chanting, and a performance condemning animal abuse.

The Protection Union criticized, "As the local elections approach, each political party and candidate is actively promoting many policies and pledges, but policies and pledges for animal welfare and vegetarian choice rights for voiceless animals are almost nonexistent. Even the limited animal welfare policies that exist are confined to companion animals, with no policies for farm animals, laboratory animals, or wild animals."

They continued, "Mahatma Gandhi, the saint of India, said, 'The greatness and moral progress of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.' We hope for a Republic of Korea where not only humans live well but humans and animals live well together," adding, "Candidates running in this local election must actively announce and implement policies guaranteeing animal welfare and vegetarian choice rights, and we urge them to create a Korea that cares for both human and animal welfare."

The Korea Animal Protection Alliance held a "Performance Press Conference Urging Animal Welfare and the Guarantee of Vegetarian Choice Rights in the June 1 Local Elections" on the 30th in front of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The press conference proceeded in the order of reading the statement, chanting slogans, and performing a protest against animal abuse. Photo by Kang Woo-seok beedolll97@

The Protection Union also performed an act of cutting a paper labeled 'Animal Abuse' with scissors.

The Animal Rights Presidential Election Response Coalition (Response Coalition), composed of 17 civic groups, also pointed out in a press release on the 26th titled "Candidates, Is This the Best Animal Welfare Pledge You Can Offer?" that "After reviewing the pledges of 55 candidates from parties with seats in the 17 metropolitan and provincial governments, we confirmed that animal welfare pledges were either nonexistent or insufficient."

According to the Response Coalition, among the 55 candidates from parties with seats in the 17 metropolitan and provincial governments, only 32 promised animal welfare pledges. Nearly half of the remaining candidates did not present any animal welfare pledges.

Furthermore, among the 32 candidates who made animal welfare pledges, only 15 proposed pledges concerning animals other than companion animals, such as farm, exhibition, and wild animals. For example, in Busan Metropolitan City, no candidate proposed pledges beyond companion animals, and in Seoul, the two major party candidates, Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, pledged policies for abandoned animals but did not propose pledges for wild, exhibition, or farm animals.

Candidate Kwon Soo-jung of the Justice Party announced pledges related to companion, abandoned, wild, and exhibition animals, and candidate Shin Ji-hye of the Basic Income Party also promised policies for farm and wild animals. The only candidate nationwide to mention laboratory animals was Lee Jung-mi, Justice Party candidate for Incheon Metropolitan City mayor.

The Response Coalition stated, "Considering that the domestic companion animal population reaches 3,129,000 households and 7 million people, that over 1 billion farm animals are raised and slaughtered annually for human benefit, and that 4.14 million animals were used in experiments as of 2021, animal welfare is an important issue in our society that cannot be overlooked," and demanded from metropolitan and provincial governors ▲ the strengthening of public-private cooperation systems and administrative agencies' animal protection capabilities ▲ the establishment of social infrastructure for living together with animals ▲ the formulation and implementation of policies to reduce animal use and suffering.

Experts analyzed that the scarcity of animal welfare policies is due to the lack of serious discussion about animal welfare policies in the political sphere. Lee Won-bok, CEO of the Korea Animal Protection Union, criticized, "It seems that the political sphere does not think that announcing animal welfare policies will gain votes. There is still an implicit mindset that considers animals as objects. These factors collectively have resulted in the current situation."

Lee added, "The treatment of animals reflects the cultural and ethical level of a society. In societies where animal abuse is severe, social crimes and problems inevitably worsen," and said, "For a peaceful, happy, and healthy society, we must view and treat animals, the most vulnerable in society, humanely and ethically. I hope those elected in this local election keep these issues in mind."

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