[Report] A 34-Year-Delayed Task... Will the 'Dog Meat Consumption' Culture Finally End This Time?

Dog Meat Consumption Issue Again 'On the Cutting Board'
Animal Protection Groups: "Dog Meat Consumption Is a 'Department Store of Animal Cruelty'... Must End Quickly"
Dog Meat Industry: "If Dog Meat Consumption Ends Immediately, Decades of Livelihoods Will Be Lost... Need Alternatives"
'Committee for Discussion on Dog Meat Issue' Extends Activity Period by 2 Months Until This Month

A Samgyetang restaurant located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "These days, not many people eat Sacheoltang, right?", "There are still customers who look for Sacheoltang on the Boknal days."

On the 14th during lunchtime, a Sacheoltang restaurant located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul was quiet. Nearby restaurants were crowded with office workers, but only about five or six customers, mostly middle-aged or older, were dining at the Sacheoltang restaurant. Owner A, who runs a Sacheoltang restaurant in Jung-gu, said, "Bosintang is a seasonal business only on Boknal, so it doesn't sell much now. Although not as much as before, there are still many customers who seek it."

The office workers in their 20s and 30s whom the reporter met seemed to have a relatively strong aversion to Sacheoltang. A 20-year-old office worker Lee said, "I don't eat Sacheoltang because I have a dog at home," and a 30-year-old office worker Lee said, "I've never tried Bosintang, so I never thought about eating it."

◆ The 'dog meat consumption' issue that comes up every Boknal... Support for banning dog meat consumption 36.3% vs Opposition 27.5%

The issue of dog meat consumption, first mentioned during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, has been a hot topic every Boknal. Recently, it resurfaced when First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, mentioned the issue. Since the end of last year, the government has formed a related committee to discuss solutions to the dog meat consumption issue but has yet to reach a conclusion.

On the 13th, Mrs. Kim gave an interview to Seoul Shinmun focusing on animal rights protection. She said, "Among economically developed countries, only South Korea and China consume dog meat," and expressed hope that "concrete results will come from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration regarding animal abuse, abandonment of stray dogs, and the dog meat consumption issue."

She added, "Dog meat is actually not good for health. Dogs raised for consumption live, eat, and defecate in narrow cages. There are cases where they are raised with antibiotics," emphasizing, "Ultimately, not consuming dog meat is an expression of respect for humans' closest friends and respect for life." Regarding ways to end dog meat consumption, she said, "I believe it can be solved through policy," and mentioned, "There could be policy support for small-scale dog meat businesses to transition to other industries."

Animal protection groups have continuously urged the creation of a culture banning dog meat consumption. The recent increase in pet-owning households and heightened awareness of animal rights have paved the way for the spread of a dog meat ban culture. They emphasize the cruelty in the breeding and slaughtering processes and argue that the dog meat consumption culture must be ended quickly.

Lee Won-bok, president of the Korea Animal Protection Union, called the dog meat consumption culture a "department store of animal abuse," highlighting the cruelty in the breeding and slaughtering processes. He said, "The process of breeding and slaughtering dogs is extremely cruel and harsh. They live their entire lives in iron cages called 'tteunjang,' exposed to snow and wind in winter, fed leftovers, and not given water separately. Leaving dogs in extreme cold is a clear violation of the Animal Protection Act," and added, "The slaughtering process is also very cruel."

Expectations from animal protection groups have grown especially because President Yoon is known to be a dog lover who raises four puppies. Lee said, "President Yoon and Mrs. Kim are known as dog and cat lovers and have a strong interest in animal abuse and dog meat issues, so we hope that these animal rights issues will be gradually resolved and show results during this administration."

Among citizens, opinions remain divided. According to a survey conducted by polling agency R&Search in September last year targeting 1,132 people aged 18 and older nationwide, 36.3% supported a complete ban on dog meat consumption, 27.5% opposed it, with support leading by about 8%. Those who answered "don't know" accounted for 36.1%.

Members of the animal protection civic group Kara and the Animal Freedom Union are holding anti-dog meat protest signs in front of a dog meat soup restaurant.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Dog meat industry: "If dog meat consumption ends without alternatives, livelihoods will be cut off"

The biggest issue in ending dog meat consumption lies in the acceptance by the dog meat industry. The industry acknowledges that the dog meat culture will inevitably end with the times but demands alternatives because many have worked in this field for decades and their livelihoods should not be cut off without measures. If dog meat consumption ends, their livelihoods will be immediately lost.

Jo Hwan-ro, secretary-general of the National Dog Meat Industry Association, who has worked in the industry for over 30 years, said, "We fully agree that animals should be protected, well raised, and not abused," but pointed out that the committee and government are pushing to end dog meat consumption without presenting alternatives.

Jo said, "The social consensus body created to discuss the dog meat issue has set a deadline of December 31, 2031, for ending dog meat consumption, but we are people who have been doing this for decades. Even if we want to do other work, we have no skills," and questioned, "Dog meat farms are our livelihoods. They should either allow us to raise other livestock or provide income compensation for a certain period after closure. Alternatives should be presented before eliminating the dog meat industry."

Regarding the abuse controversy in breeding and slaughtering, he denied it, saying, "What animal protection groups claim are only past cases and exaggerated." Jo added, "It is true that dogs were abused and slaughtered cruelly in the past. But now it is different. We raise dogs for consumption to sell tasty meat and make profits. If the feed or breeding environment is poor, dogs cannot grow well. It is no different from raising and slaughtering other livestock like cows and pigs."

Meanwhile, the "Committee for Discussing the Dog Meat Issue," launched at the end of last year, decided to extend its activity period by two months. The official plan to end dog meat consumption, originally scheduled for April, has been postponed to this month, two months later. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 6th of last month, "Through active discussions so far, there has been consensus that ending dog meat consumption is a trend of the times, but no agreement has been reached yet," and added, "We decided to extend the committee's operation by two months for further discussion."

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