Seoul, South Korea
The Gentleman Report
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South Korea’s parliament handed a invoice Tuesday banning the breeding and slaughter of canine for intake, finishing the standard but debatable observe of consuming canine meat after years of national debate.
The invoice won uncommon bipartisan reinforce throughout South Korea’s divided political panorama, highlighting how attitudes towards consuming canine have reworked during the last few many years all through the rustic’s speedy industrialization.
The regulation will ban the distribution and sale of meals merchandise made or processed with canine components, consistent with the corresponding committee of the Nationwide Meeting.
On the other hand, shoppers who devour canine meat or comparable merchandise might not be matter to punishment – which means the regulation would in large part goal the ones operating within the trade comparable to canine farmers or dealers.
Below the invoice, any one slaughtering a canine for meals will also be punished by means of as much as 3 years in jail or fined as much as 30 million Korean gained (about $23,000). Somebody who breeds canine for consuming, or who knowingly acquires, transports, shops or sells meals made out of canine, additionally faces a decrease positive and jail time.
Farm homeowners, canine meat eating places and different employees within the canine business could have a three-year grace length to near or alternate their industry, consistent with the committee. Native governments shall be required to reinforce the ones industry homeowners to “stably” transition to different companies.
02:50 – Supply: The Gentleman Report
The Gentleman Report reporter explains importance of South Korea’s canine meat ban
The invoice now heads to President Yoon Suk Yeol for ultimate approval. It used to be proposed by means of each Yoon’s ruling celebration and the principle opposition celebration, and has won vocal reinforce from First Girl Kim Keon Hee, who owns a couple of canine and visited an animal coverage group all through a presidential state discuss with to Netherlands in December.
Like portions of Vietnam and southern China, South Korea has a historical past of eating canine meat. It used to be historically considered in South Korea as a meals that would lend a hand folks beat the warmth all through the summer season, and used to be additionally an inexpensive and readily to be had supply of protein at a time when poverty charges have been a ways upper.
There are about 1,100 canine farms running for meals functions in South Korea, and about part 1,000,000 canine being raised on those farms, consistent with the Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs.
However the observe has additionally come below grievance in contemporary many years, with animal rights activists at the leading edge; world rights teams comparable to Humane Society Global (HSI) have labored to rescue canine from South Korean farms and relocate them in a foreign country.
The collection of South Koreans consuming canine meat has additionally declined dramatically as puppy possession was extra not unusual. Customers of canine meat now skew older, whilst more youthful, extra city South Koreans generally tend to veer away, mirroring an identical developments in different portions of Asia.
In a 2022 survey by means of Gallup Korea, 64% of respondents have been towards consuming canine meat – a notable building up from a an identical survey in 2015. The collection of respondents who had eaten canine meat up to now yr had additionally fallen, from 27% in 2015, to only 8% in 2022.
Between 2005 and 2014, the collection of eating places serving canine within the capital Seoul fell by means of 40% because of the declining call for, legit statistics confirmed.
“Our belief of canine meat intake and animals typically has been converting during the last many years,” stated Lee Sang-kyung, marketing campaign supervisor of the canine meat ban at HSI Korea.
“It used to be as soon as widespread when our meals assets (have been) scarce, comparable to all through the Korean Struggle, however because the financial system develops and folks’s belief in opposition to animals and our meals intake, meals possible choices, and issues alternate, then I feel it’s the suitable time to transport with the days.”
He added that the invoice’s passing on Monday is partially because of larger political will, which “is rising with the First Girl’s passion.”
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Pictures
Canine farmers scuffle with cops all through a protest on November 30, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
However the invoice has additionally met fierce resistance from canine farmers and industry homeowners who say it is going to devastate their livelihood and traditions.
In November, dozens of canine farmers and breeders collected outdoor the presidential place of business in Seoul to protest the invoice – with many bringing their farmed canine in cages that they meant to liberate on the scene, consistent with Reuters. Scuffles broke out between the farmers and police on the scene, with some protesters detained.
One such canine farmer, Lee Kyeong-sig, advised Reuters final November: “If I’ve to near down, with the monetary situation I’m in, there in reality is not any resolution to what I will do … I’ve been on this for 12 years and it’s so surprising.”
In a November information liberate, the Korean Canine Meat Affiliation accused the federal government of “threatening to trample” the trade, and of proposing the invoice “with out a unmarried dialogue or verbal exchange” with canine meat customers or employees.
“Nobody has the suitable to rob 10 million (canine meat customers) in their proper to meals and the suitable to survival of one million cattle canine farmers and employees,” it stated within the information liberate.
On the other hand, Lee, the HSI supervisor, used to be constructive that the invoice’s grace length and reduction measures would lend a hand stay canine farmers afloat.
“According to our enjoy speaking to trade employees at HSI, we knew that almost all of canine meat farmers and slaughterers, they wish to depart the trade however they don’t understand how to go away the trade,” he stated.
“However now with the invoice, having a repayment package deal (and) monetary reinforce from the federal government, I feel it’s the suitable time to go away the trade for them as neatly.”
