First Lady Kim Geon-hee "Hope for the passage of the dog meat ban bill in the National Assembly... President's promise"

Mrs. Kim Holds Meeting at Amsterdam Animal Protection Foundation
"Understanding Directions for Enhancing Korean Animal Rights Through Dutch Advanced Cases"

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is on a state visit to the Netherlands with President Yoon Suk-yeol, emphasized on the 13th (local time) that "as the social atmosphere of treating pets like family is spreading, I hope the special law jointly proposed by both ruling and opposition parties to end dog meat consumption will be promptly passed by the National Assembly."

At a meeting held at the Amsterdam Animal Protection Foundation that day, Kim stated, "The ban on dog meat consumption is President Yoon's promise," according to a written briefing by Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.

Kim said, "I heard that the Netherlands has created a country without stray dogs through strong animal protection policies," adding, "Through the advanced cases in the Netherlands, I have come to deeply understand the direction South Korea should take to promote animal rights."

When an attendee asked about the perception of animal rights in Korea, Kim replied, "Interest in animal protection and the promotion of animal rights is gradually increasing in Korea as well," and added, "I have also been participating in animal protection activities for a long time and have adopted several stray dogs and cats."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The meeting was attended by officials from the Animal Protection Foundation and Amsterdam's 'Animal Police,' who are responsible for issues related to animal abuse and illegal trade in the Netherlands. The Animal Police is a system newly established in the Netherlands in 2011; animal police officers, appointed after special training within the national police, are in charge of animal abuse, neglect, various accidents, and illegal trade.

The Animal Police emphasized the importance of education and awareness improvement regarding animal rights, stating, "Animal abuse can also lead to criminal acts against humans." In response, Kim expressed empathy, saying, "Animals, like humans, feel emotions and communicate, and cruel abuse of companion dogs can threaten the dignity of other animals and humans as well."

Afterwards, Kim toured the animal treatment room, temporary shelter for rescued dogs, and resting area at the Amsterdam Animal Protection Foundation. She expressed sorrow upon hearing stories of dogs injured or malnourished due to abuse and neglect by their owners, as well as dogs abused and abandoned by breeders. Kim and the attendees shared the sentiment, "Let us create a society where humans and animals live harmoniously together."

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