[2024 National Audit] Cheon Ha-ram "Over 1 Trillion Won Spent on Kim Geon-hee Act... Even Dog Food Costs Not Properly Calculated"

"Is It a Free Pass If the Law Bears Kim Geon-hee's Name?"
When the Nation Takes on 460,000 Animals, Annual Feed Costs Alone Reach at Least 270 Billion Won

Concerns have been raised that the so-called "Kim Geon-hee Act," officially known as the "Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act," could cost more than 1 trillion won in funding. It was pointed out that providing closure incentives to dog breeders and protecting the dogs they raised could require hundreds of billions of won over multiple years.

On the 10th, Cheon Ha-ram, a member of the Reform New Party, raised issues regarding the designation of the "Support Project for Closure and Career Change of Dog Breeding Farm Owners" (total project cost 356.2 billion won, national funding 179.6 billion won) as an exemption from preliminary feasibility study, as well as the inadequate cost estimates, during the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee’s audit held in Sejong targeting the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Rep. Cheon stated, "The government and local governments are set to invest over 300 billion won over three years," and questioned, "Does the budget get a free pass once the Kim Geon-hee Act is enacted?" In response, Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, explained, "It is based on the law."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Rep. Cheon also predicted that the annual cost could reach 1 trillion won after the Kim Geon-hee Act is implemented. He said, "There is a closure support incentive for dog breeders: if they close their business after three years, they receive 200,000 won, but if they close next year, they get 600,000 won. Currently, there are 466,000 dogs, so if compensation of 600,000 won is paid next year, it would cost 279.6 billion won." He added, "However, only 56.2 billion won has been allocated in next year’s budget."

Furthermore, he mentioned, "When closing, the state and local governments will take over these dogs, right? The budget for protecting these released dogs has been set at 9 billion won." According to Rep. Cheon, "The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs states that animal protection centers can accommodate 6,000 dogs," and continued, "The state and local governments will have to care for 460,000 dogs. Even with a minimal estimate of 50,000 won per month, feeding 460,000 dogs would cost 270 billion won."

Rep. Cheon projected, "It costs 270 billion won annually, so will these dogs be euthanized? If not, it will cost 270 billion won every year to protect them until their natural lifespan ends." He criticized, "It is difficult to understand how such a massive expenditure, potentially in the trillions, can be undertaken without proper review."

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