South Korea's dog meat laws

South Korean animal rights activists. Archive image. Ahn Young-joon / AP  

Politicians in South Korea open to a ban on dog meat  

Several politicians in South Korea have put forward proposals to ban the slaughter and sale of dog and cat meat in the country, writes the Korea Times. In April, both members from the ruling party and from the country's largest opposition party said they wanted to legislate against dog meat. According to the newspaper, the country's president Yoon Suk-Yeol has also opened for a ban.  

In recent decades, the attitude towards dog meat has changed in South Korea. Campaigns by animal rights activists are believed to have contributed to young South Koreans many times opting out of meat. At the same time, around one million dogs are raised for slaughter in the country every year, AP writes. However, that figure can be compared with roughly three million annually about 10-20 years ago. 

Protesters in South Korea. Lee Jin-man / AP 

South Korea's dog meat laws  

Dog meat farmers in protest against South Korea's first lady  

About 50 dog meat farmers in South Korea protested on Tuesday against the country's first lady, Kim Keon Hee, after reports that she supports a possible ban on the consumption of dog meat. That's what AP writes. 

It is an old Korean tradition to eat dog, but in recent years the tradition has lost its hold. In connection with a lunch with animal rights activists earlier in April, Kim Keon Hee is said to have said that she will push for a ban during her husband's time in power. According to the protesters, she should be neutral and not make such a promise.  

The farmers are demanding that the Korean authorities present a plan on how they will be compensated if a ban is imposed - or that they be allowed to continue operating their businesses for another 15-20 years, until the elderly, who are the main dog meat eaters, die off.