Public Opinion Formation After South Korea's 'Dog Meat Ban Law' Passage
1 Billion Views on 'Dog Meat Ban' on Weibo
China Estimated to Slaughter Tens of Millions Annually
On the 9th, the 'Special Act to End (Ban) Dog Meat Consumption' (Dog Meat Ban Act) was passed at the plenary session of the temporary National Assembly, and public opinion in China, the 'world's largest dog meat-consuming country,' is showing support for the trend in Korea. The Singapore Lianhe Zaobao reported on the 10th that "from the 9th, when the dog meat ban law was passed in Korea, the topic 'dog meat ban' on China's social networking service (SNS) Weibo recorded about 100 million views over two days, with 7,229 posts produced."
Among the younger users of Weibo, reactions such as "Dog meat has been banned in Korea, so what about us?", "Isn't it our turn now?", and "It's completely different from China, which still holds dog meat festivals" have continued. One netizen argued, "Like Shenzhen, which was the first city in China to ban dogs for food, a comprehensive dog meat ban law should be enacted."
Among countries that consume dogs for food, including China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nigeria, China is by far the largest. The animal organization Humane Society International estimates that 20 million dogs are slaughtered annually in China, while another organization, Animal Asia, estimates 4 million dogs are slaughtered. At least several million dogs are slaughtered.
Previously, there was also a movement to ban dog meat consumption in China. In May 2020, as the spread of COVID-19 led to a ban on wildlife trade and consumption, Shenzhen became the first city in mainland China to curb dog meat consumption. At that time, the legislative committee emphasized that "the dog meat ban is a requirement of modern human civilization."
On the other hand, dog meat consumption is still active in regions such as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province, Jilin Province, and Guizhou Province. In particular, in Yulin City, there is a custom of eating dog meat on the Dragon Boat Festival, and when the dog meat festival is held in this area, it is known that 10,000 dogs are slaughtered over ten days. The cruelty of the slaughtering methods has been widely criticized worldwide.
'Dog Meat Ban Act' Passed... 3-Year Grace Period
In Korea, the Dog Meat Ban Act was approved at the full meeting of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee on the 20th of last month and passed the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 9th. The act prohibits the breeding and slaughtering of dogs for food purposes, and after a three-year grace period, dog meat consumption will be banned.
If a dog is slaughtered for food purposes, the offender will face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won, and if a dog is bred, propagated, or distributed, the offender will face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.
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