Another Asian country withdrew.
On Tuesday, South Korea's parliament passed a special bill to ban dog meat raised, slaughtered, distributed or ** for human consumption in the country from 2027, and violators face 2-3 years in prison or up to 30 million won (about 16.).RMB 30,000).
The purpose of the bill is to "eliminate the consumption of dog meat". It received rare bipartisan support and passed in Congress by an overwhelming majority of 208 votes in favor, 0 against, and 2 abstentions. However, the ban does not address the consumption of dog meat, but focuses on dog meat** behavior.
The consumption of dog meat is controversial around the world, but many Asian countries (China, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.) and some African countries have a tradition of eating dog meat. However, South Korea is the only country with an industrial-scale dog meat industry.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, as of April 2022, nearly 500,000 dogs were kept on more than 1,000 farms and about 1,600 restaurants** dog meat dishes. But animal protection activists estimate that nearly a million dogs are factory bred and slaughtered for human consumption each year. This is after decades of significant declines in dog meat consumption in South Korea under domestic and international pressure.
Eating dog meat in South Korea today is a controversial event with a huge generational gap. Most young people have long since stopped eating dog meat, but older people are still clinging to the tradition or making a living from it.
More than 94 percent of respondents said they had not eaten dog meat in the past year, and 93 percent said they would not eat dog meat in the future, according to a survey released on Monday by Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, a Seoul-based think tank. Other polls, however, show that one in three South Koreans say they oppose a ban on dog meat even if they don't eat it.
The latest ban naturally provoked a reaction among different groups. "I never thought I'd see a ban on the dog meat industry in South Korea in my lifetime," said Jungah Chae, executive director of Humane International's Korea office, adding that the victory made history and that South Korea would embrace a dog-friendly future.
But the peasants were extremely unhappy with the passage of the bill. "This is a clear state violence that violates our freedom to choose our profession," said Son Won Hak, a former leader of the Korean Farmers' Association, who will file a petition with the Constitutional Court and hold demonstrations, which will be followed by a meeting to discuss other responses.
Another member of the association, Ju Yeongbong, pointed out that most of the farmers are 60-80 years old, and they have found it difficult to change their means of livelihood, and the minimum demand of this group of people is to continue the industry in their lifetime, and the new law deprives them of their right to live.
Some of those working in the industry believe that they should be given enough time to allow the dog meat industry to slowly retire as their generation dies. Others are asking for a clear compensation plan.
According to earlier information from the Korea Dog Eating Association, they are seeking compensation of at least 2 million won (10,880 yuan) per dog to cover the losses over the next five years and the cost of the soon-to-be-abandoned facility.
However, the statements made so far have only been aid, and the demand for large compensation seems to be difficult to meet. In the latest bill, Yoon Suk-yeol** sets aside a three-year transition period for practitioners to submit a plan to local authorities to phase out their businesses, which can be supported by some incentives. But the specifics have not yet been finalized. South Korea's agriculture minister, Song Mi-ryung, said on Tuesday that efforts would be made to develop a reasonable assistance plan for those who have exited the dog meat industry.
The reaction of ordinary citizens other than practitioners is also **.
Kim Seon-ho, 86, was disappointed by the ban. "We've been eating dog meat for a long time, so why stop us from eating traditional food? "If you're forbidden to eat dog meat, you should also be forbidden to eat beef." ”
Kim Myung-ae, a 58-year-old Seoul resident, disagrees, arguing that dogs, unlike other animals such as cows, chickens, and pigs, are seen more as household pets than food, "Why eat dog meat? ”
While Ms. Kim, a dog meat restaurant owner in her 60s, was frustrated by the latest ban, she also blamed the increase in the number of pet owners in South Korea as an important reason for the ban.
Today's young people don't get married and often treat pets as family. But food is food. We should accept dog meat, but we need to improve the welfare conditions of breeding," she told **, adding that countries such as China and Vietnam also eat dog meat, so why should we ban it? ”
*: Interface News.