SEOUL—South Korean lawmakers gathered at the country’s National Assembly today for the opening of an exhibition in support of a legislative ban on the dog meat industry, co-hosted by the Animal Welfare Forum, Humane Society International/Korea and National Assembly members Young-ho Tae and Jeong-hoon Jo.
The “Beyond Prejudice: For the Passage of a Dog Meat Ban bill” exhibition opened with presentations from National Assembly members In-soon Nam, Young-seok Suh and Minjeong Ko as well as Seoul Council member, Ji-hyang Kim who recently introduced a Seoul city ordinance amendment bill to ban dog meat in the city, and said at the event, “Dog meat practice has to stop now. Now is the opportunity, supported by cross party politicians.”
HSI/Korea’s director of government affairs, Borami Seo, spoke about the compelling animal welfare and societal case for phasing out the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption. The event took place on the eve of Cho Bok, the first of the three hottest days of the summer according to the lunar calendar when dog meat is most popular.
Democratic Party Assembly member Jeoung-ae Han spoke about the Special Act legislative bill she introduced on June 28, which seeks to prohibit dog meat farms, dog slaughterhouses and the sale of dog meat. Jeoung-ae Han said at the event “I hope to see all cross parties come together to tackle the dog meat problem during this National Assembly session.” National Assembly member In-soon Nam said, “This Special Act seeks to support farmers with alternatives to help close down the farms. With the passage of this bill, dog meat farms can change to humane practices and dogs will be given second chance to meet families.”
The bill also advocates for supporting dog farmers to transition to alternative businesses, similar to HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program which since 2015 has worked co-operatively with dog farmers keen to exit the industry. HSI/Korea has so far permanently closed down 18 dog farms, rescued more than 2,700 dogs for adoption overseas, and helped farmers switch to alternative, humane and more sustainable livelihoods, including crop harvesting, chili plant cultivation and water delivery.
Borami Seo, HSI/Korea director of government affairs, says: “We have reached a tipping point in South Korea where the majority of the general public do not eat dog meat and want to see an end to the dog meat industry. As Koreans we are entering a new relationship with dogs based on friendship and compassion, and in this new relationship the breeding, slaughtering and sale of dogs for human consumption can no longer continue. For almost a decade, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has demonstrated that it is possible to work with dog farmers to phase out this cruel industry. Now we look to our legislators to finish the job by introducing a ban to end this unnecessary suffering for good.”
The exhibition is being supported by South Korea’s TV veterinarian Seol Chae Hyun who sent the following comment: “As a veterinarian, I pledged an oath to the welfare of animals, their relief from pain from disease and for the promotion of public health. None of these things are compatible with the dog meat industry. We have a duty to care for our canine companions, and that includes ending their needless suffering on dog meat farms. ”
This exhibition comes at a time of increasing public and political support for ending the dog meat industry in South Korea. First lady Kim Keon-hee has openly called for a ban, and latest opinion surveys by Nielsen Korea commissioned by HSI/Korea show that 87.5% of the population don’t eat dog meat or won’t in the future, and 56% support a legislative ban.
ENDS
Media contact:
Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
