"Due to Poor Health, Attempted to Make Bosintang..." 60-Year-Old Charged for Slaughtering Owned Dog

Animal Protection Group Responds to Tip
1 Animal Slaughtered... 2 Rescued

A man in his 60s in Jeju has been booked on charges of illegally slaughtering a dog he was raising. The animal organization that reported him to the police claimed, "The dog was slaughtered in a cruel manner right in front of another dog."

Earlier, the Jeju Eastern Police Station announced on the 14th that they had booked and were investigating a man in his 60s, Mr. A, on charges of illegally slaughtering a dog he was raising (violation of the Animal Protection Act). Mr. A is suspected of slaughtering a dog he was raising at an orchard in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, around 10 a.m. on the 12th. During the police investigation, he reportedly stated, "The dog was not in good health, so I intended to make dog meat soup."

A man in his 60s who slaughtered a dog raised in an orchard in Jocheon-eup, Jeju, and a blunt weapon (left) presumed to have been used during the slaughtering process, along with a white dog found alive in the orchard.
[Photo by Jeju Haengbokine Abandoned Dog Shelter Instagram capture]

During this process, it is reported that an animal organization active in Jeju received a tip, visited the scene, and reported it to the police.

The animal organization "Jeju Haengbokine Abandoned Dog and Cat Shelter" detailed the situation on Instagram. The group said, "When we went to the reported address, a white dog was being slaughtered and boiled in a cauldron, and its head was in the freezer. When we asked how the slaughter was done, we were told that the neck was stabbed with a sharp weapon."

They also claimed that Mr. A slaughtered the dog in a cruel manner in front of another dog. The organization stated, "The black Blacktan dog usually climbed onto people's laps and readily accepted treats, but suddenly bit someone. When we asked, we learned that Mr. A slaughtered the white dog in front of the Blacktan dog. Since then, the Blacktan dog freezes and trembles whenever it sees people." Photos released by the organization showed the dog carcass in the cauldron and what appeared to be the sharp weapon used for the slaughter.

Black Tan dog rescued from an orchard.
[Photo by Instagram]

It was later confirmed that the other two dogs at Mr. A’s orchard were rescued. The organization filed a complaint against Mr. A with the police for violating the Animal Protection Act.

Under the Animal Protection Act, killing or causing the death of an animal by cruel methods or neglect without justifiable reason is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. Starting in 2027, the 'Special Act on the End of Dog Meat Consumption' will prohibit all acts of breeding, slaughtering, distributing, or selling dogs for food purposes. According to this law, which was promulgated in February, slaughtering dogs for food purposes carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million won, and breeding, propagating, or distributing dogs for such purposes carries a penalty of up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million won.