Dozens of farmers drove trucks carrying dogs to the South Korean Presidential Office to protest and were stopped by police.
Police block a protest in front of the South Korean Presidential Office in Seoul on November 30, 2023. Photo: Reuters
President Yoon Suk Yeol's People Power Party (PPP) has introduced a bill to ban the breeding and sale of dogs for consumption, and provide financial compensation to those in the industry forced to close their businesses for a three-year extension.
The PPP member said it was time to end the controversy surrounding dog meat eating, adding that there was widespread support from the public and opposition parties.
More than 6 million South Korean households now keep dogs as pets in the country of about 51 million people. President Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee own six dogs, including a rescue dog.
A Gallup Korea poll last year found that nearly two-thirds of respondents opposed eating dog meat, with only 8% saying they had eaten dog meat in the past year, down from 27% in 2015.
Ju Yeong-bong, who led Thursday's protest, said politicians have no right to shut down an industry or decide what people choose to eat.
“We cannot agree with the view that it is barbaric, because all countries with a tradition of animal husbandry have eaten dog meat and there are still countries that do so,” he said.
Farmers have been completely left out of the bill's discussion and the proposal for financial compensation is completely unsatisfactory as they will lose their livelihoods, Ju said.
The protest organizers said three protesters including Ju were arrested by police.
Mai Van (according to Reuters)
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