Lee Jae-myung Emphasizes Need for Legislation to Ban Dog Meat Consumption
7 out of 10 Citizens Say "Dog Meat Consumption Is a Personal Choice"
More Than Half Support Legal Regulation of "Dog Slaughter"
Experts Say "Legislation Needed to Reduce Public Burden and Gradually Improve"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Voices calling for the enactment of a 'Ban on Dog Meat Consumption Act' are growing louder, mainly from the political sphere and animal protection organizations. Unlike in the past, awareness of animal rights is increasing, and as the number of companion animals rises, public opinion is shifting toward changing the previously negative perception of the dog meat consumption culture.
On the other hand, there are still many opinions that view dog meat consumption as a tradition. There are also claims that the right to livelihood of those working in related industries must be guaranteed. Experts emphasize that as negative perceptions of dog meat consumption are spreading both domestically and internationally, there is a growing need to gradually ban dog meat consumption.
Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said on the 22nd that it is time to bring the issue of banning dog meat consumption and companion animal sales legislation into public discussion. On that day, Governor Lee attended the 'Discussion on Improving the Dog Meat Consumption and Companion Animal Sales System in Gyeonggi Province' held at the Irum Center in Yeouido, Seoul, and stated, "As social awareness of animal rights protection and respect for life has greatly improved, it is now necessary to significantly improve related policies through social discussions."
He added, "Although opposition may be intense, I believe that with appropriate compensation or reasonable alternatives, similar to valley maintenance, the opposition can be considerably alleviated."
Promotional materials attached by Animal Freedom Coalition saying "I'm afraid of the hottest days" and "Stop eating dog meat right now"./Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
Animal protection organizations are responding positively to legislative calls for abolishing dog meat consumption. At the discussion, Jeon Jin-kyung, CEO of Animal Rights Action Kara, emphasized, "Dog farms and animal welfare are incompatible," and "It is estimated that about 502 dog farms are still operating illegally within Gyeonggi Province alone. Above all, strong government supervision and measures are required."
On the other hand, those working in related industries are resisting. They point out that many people in Korea still consume dog meat, and that this reality is being ignored.
Cho Hwan-ro, Secretary General of the Korea Dog Meat Industry Association, pointed out, "Many people in Korea eat dog meat, but dog meat is still not included as food under the Livestock Act. This means hygiene management for food consumed by the public has been abandoned." He added that considering support for industry workers, transitioning to other occupations or business closure could be considered.
Ban on Dog Meat Consumption. Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, advocated the need to publicize legislation banning dog meat consumption and the sale of companion animals on the 22nd. /Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, public opinion on legally regulating dog meat consumption is sharply divided. According to a survey conducted by Realmeter on the 21st targeting 1,012 adults, responses to the question about the 'need for government role' in dog meat consumption showed that 37.3% answered 'necessary,' while 38.8% answered 'not necessary,' a difference of only 1.5 percentage points, indicating a close split within the margin of error.
Regarding perceptions of dog meat consumption, 72.1% responded that it should be left to individual choice. Only 21.5% answered that it should be banned by law, showing that many respondents respected personal choice.
However, more than half, 57.8%, agreed on the need for legal regulation concerning dog slaughter. Those who disagreed with legal regulation accounted for 35.0%. This suggests that while there is public support for government or local authority regulation of cruel methods of dog slaughter, the act of consumption itself is largely viewed as a personal choice.
Experts suggest seeking reasonable solutions that reduce the public burden regarding the legalization of dog meat consumption.
Lee Won-bok, CEO of the Korea Animal Protection Alliance, said, "Some citizens feel burdened by the legalization and punishment related to dog meat consumption. However, Korea is the only country in the world where the dog slaughter industry exists, and public opinion increasingly hopes for its disappearance. In the past, this culture existed due to food shortages, but that is no longer the case. The companion animal population now exceeds 15 million. It is necessary to approach legalization while mitigating opposition from industry workers."
He continued, "The government and local governments should step in to provide opportunities for industry workers to transition to other occupations and prepare solutions such as compensation upon business closure as soon as possible."
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