Currently, the South Korean government is deliberating on a ban on consuming dog meat in the country, and it has been met with fierce opposition from the concerned industry.

A South Korean activist advocating for dog meat ban | SCMP

Daehan Yukgyeon Hyephoi (Dog Meat Federation), a group consisting of dog meat farm operators and dog meat restaurant owners across South Korea, has announced their plan to hold a protest on Thursday, November 30, against the ban on dog meat. They plan to mobilize members in a protest in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, just across the street from the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. They plan to do the same in front of Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang Keun’s residence in South Chungcheong Province.

Each participant will be there with at least one dog (at the protest). Whether or not the dogs will be released will be left to the discretion of each participant.

—Daehan Yukgyeon Hyephoi

Currently, the Yoon government and the ruling party are planning to propose legislation that would ban the sales of dog meat in South Korea by 2027. The bill will prohibit farming and slaughtering of dogs for meat, as well as its distribution. Any restaurant or business related to dog meat will be outlawed, and violators will be subject to criminal punishment.

Members of the Dog Meat Federation protesting against the proposed bill

While dog meat has been consumed in the Korean Peninsula for centuries, it is not a very popular practice now but is also not restricted by law. The current government’s move to ban it has been primarily backed by First Lady Kim Keon Hee. According to surveys as recent as 2022, most Korean adults don’t consume dog meat, nor do they plan to. A poll by Gallup Korea showed that 55.8% of South Koreans support discontinuing dog meat consumption, while 28.4% said it should continue as is.

First Lady Kim Keon Hee | Yonhap

According to research by a government-civilian committee launched last year, South Korea has 1,156 farms breeding dogs for meat and some 1,660 restaurants that serve it. The annual average of dogs that are consumed is estimated to be 388,000.

A shop selling dog meat at a market in Anyang, South Korea | SCMP

The dog meat industry claims that its pushback against the bill is due to the government’s lack of proper measures to support them in transitioning to other livelihoods once the law is passed. The Dog Meat Federation has urged the Yoon government to postpone the plan for the time being since most professionals in the industry are in their 60s and close to retirement.

 Both the ruling party and the opposition have agreed on the move.