World Dog Alliance: A New Government, a New Atmosphere, and a Ban on the Consumption of Dog Meat on the Horizon in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, June 1, 2022 (Newswire.com) - In recent years, the South Korean government has shown its support for a nationwide ban on the consumption of dog meat. The World Dog Alliance (WDA) predicts that with the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea will become the next country to ban the consumption of dog meat and serve as an example for other Asian nations.

On May 11, 2022, South Korea's Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Chung Hwang-keun, pledged to push for an end to the consumption of dog meat. He stated, "As the number of families with pets has increased and public interest in animal welfare has grown, banning dog meat is the direction in which our society should move forward."

"I will make efforts to achieve a grand compromise to end dog meat consumption by fully listening to and coordinating opinions of the industry and animal rights groups," he added. Minister Jung's statement demonstrates the new administration's determination to end the consumption of dog meat.

Since its inception in 2014, the World Dog Alliance has focused its global campaign to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat on South Korea. Even though South Korea has one of the highest rates of dog meat consumption in the world, the younger generation holds dogs and cats in high regard and abhors their consumption. South Korea, as a developed and democratic nation, is receptive to public opinion and international pressure when establishing new legislation.

In 2016, the World Dog Alliance published a petition on the website of the UK Parliament urging the South Korean government to address the issue of dog meat consumption prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Within a few months, 100,000 British citizens signed the petition, compelling the UK Parliament to undertake a public debate on the issue. In response to domestic and international pressure, South Korea closed the Moran Market, its largest dog meat market, to international acclaim.

The South Korean government is currently debating whether to create a stand-alone law to ban dog meat or to add a ban on dog meat to the Food Sanitation Act and the Livestock Sanitation Control Act. Under the leadership of former president Moon Jae-in, the South Korean government has created a "Committee to discuss the ban on dog meat" in an attempt to reach a social consensus on the issue. The committee is expected to reveal the conclusions of the inquiry by the end of June 2022.

In order to provide the South Korean government with objective and comprehensive data, the World Dog Alliance commissioned Embrain, a prominent polling firm in South Korea, to conduct a public opinion survey regarding a ban on the consumption of dog meat. 61.4 percent of respondents supported a ban on the consumption of dog meat, while only 20.2 percent opposed it; the number of supporters was three times the number of opponents.

Genlin, the founder of the World Dog Alliance, remarked that, unlike any other Asian country, the dog meat industry in South Korea has organized a powerful lobbying group. The South Korean government's ability to push for a ban on dog meat despite massive opposition from this group demonstrates the President's commitment to ending this abhorrent practice.

Source: World Dog Alliance