Koreans Dislike Dog Meat... 88% Say "Will Not Eat It in the Future"

Animal Welfare Organization National Survey
7 out of 10 People Say "It Should Be Banned by Law"

According to a survey by the Animal Welfare Research Institute Aware, the proportion of households with companion animals was 36.2%.

Most Koreans do not eat dog meat, and a survey found that 7 out of 10 people support legally banning the breeding, slaughtering, and selling of dogs for consumption.

The Animal Welfare Research Institute Aware announced the results of the "2022 Public Awareness Survey on Animal Welfare" on the 5th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Aware conducted the survey from October 28 to November 2 last year, targeting 2,000 adults aged 20 to 69 living in 17 cities and provinces nationwide, investigating perceptions on six topics including pet ownership status, animal protection and welfare systems, dog meat consumption, vegetarianism, zoos, and wildlife management.

According to the survey, when asked whether they agree with legally banning the breeding, slaughtering, and selling of dogs for consumption, 42.0% answered "strongly agree" and 30.8% answered "agree," totaling 72.8% in favor. 94.2% of respondents reported they had not eaten dog meat in the past year, and 88.6% said they have no intention of eating dog meat in the future.

The proportion of households raising pets was 36.2%, an increase of 12.3 percentage points from 23.9% in the previous year's survey. Awareness of the need to strengthen the duty of care for animals also increased.

According to the survey, when asked whether they agree with the law banning the breeding, slaughtering, and selling of dogs for food, 42.0% responded "strongly agree" and 30.8% responded "agree," totaling 72.8% in agreement. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

The percentage of respondents who believe that "breeding animals without providing minimum conditions such as water and food" should be legally prohibited was 91.2%, up 3.6 percentage points from the previous survey. The proportions supporting bans on neglecting to treat injured animals and on tying animals with short leashes or confining them in small spaces also rose by more than 3 percentage points to 88.0% and 86.1%, respectively.

96.4% of all respondents agreed with a system that requires regular updating of registered animal information to strengthen the responsibilities of pet owners. Additionally, 94.3% supported amending the Civil Act to distinguish the legal status of animals from that of objects.

Meanwhile, 91.1% of respondents believed that animal welfare in zoos should be improved. 96.5% answered that the government’s management system, including permits and inspections of zoos and aquariums, should be strengthened. Among the functions of zoos, 75.8% selected "species conservation," which was far ahead of the second-ranked "educational function" at 14.7%.