South Korean parliament passes law banning eating dogs

Members of the South Korean parliament have approved a bill that bans the breeding and slaughter of dogs for the purpose of eating their meat.

Source. It is reported by the agency "Renhap".

The bill was supported by 208 deputies and two abstentions. Now the document must be signed by the president who initiated it.

The law will come into force in 2027 and will punish such actions with fines of up to 30 million won (about $23,000) and prison terms.

Breeding dogs for the purpose of eating their meat will be punishable by up to two years in prison, and slaughtering them will be punishable by up to three years in prison.

The bill also provides for subsidies to help people involved in the dog meat industry change jobs.

On the eve of the bill's approval, the country saw protests by farmers who bred dogs for food (a tradition that has existed in the country for centuries).

In South Korea, there are about 1150 dog farms, 34 meat companies, 219 distributors, and about 1600 restaurants that sell dog meat products.

South Korea's First Lady Kim Geun-hye has openly expressed support for the ban, recalling that outlawing the practice was one of President Yun Suk-yol's election promises. Yoon and Kim are known as pet lovers, with four dogs and three cats.