South Korea introduces new strategy for dog meat producers
The South Korean government has revealed plans to offer breeders up to $450 per dog as an incentive to voluntarily shut down their operations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The South Korean government has declared it will financially compensate breeders impacted by an impending prohibition on breeding or selling dog meat for human consumption. However, many farmers have rejected the compensation, labeling the ban as an “act of barbarism.”
In January, South Korea’s parliament approved a bill that outlaws the breeding and sale of dog meat by 2027, with violations punishable by fines of up to 30 million won or a prison term of three years. The legislation has encountered strong opposition from dog farmers, who described it as “a violent act of barbarism to deprive individuals of their right to eat.” In December, prior to the vote, protests erupted outside government buildings.
On Thursday, the Agriculture Ministry announced that farmers willing to shut down their businesses early would receive compensation ranging from 225,000 won to 600,000 won per dog, according to the Associated Press. Nonetheless, a farmers’ association has dismissed this proposal, insisting on a payment of 2 million won per dog.
While the consumption of dog meat is regarded as barbaric in many parts of the world, it has been a longstanding tradition in Korea. Although younger generations are increasingly moving away from the practice, approximately one million dogs are still slaughtered each year for their meat, as reported by the Korean Association of Edible Dogs.
The association estimates that the ban could impact about 3,000 restaurants and 3,500 farms that raise roughly 1.5 million dogs. However, figures from the Agriculture Ministry in April 2022 indicated there were 1,600 restaurants, 1,100 farms, and 570,000 dogs.
Anti-cruelty organizations have campaigned for such a ban for many years, but a spokesperson from Humane Society International Korea expressed concerns to the Associated Press, suggesting that the compensation might incentivize farmers to "potentially increase dog breeding to get more money from the scheme and more puppies being born into suffering."
The Korean Animal Welfare Association has urged local governments to closely monitor farms to prevent any further breeding of dogs for compensation purposes.
Once the ban is implemented, the Agriculture Ministry stated that it would promote the adoption of dogs from closed farms to minimize the number of euthanizations.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
In January, South Korea’s parliament approved a bill that outlaws the breeding and sale of dog meat by 2027, with violations punishable by fines of up to 30 million won or a prison term of three years. The legislation has encountered strong opposition from dog farmers, who described it as “a violent act of barbarism to deprive individuals of their right to eat.” In December, prior to the vote, protests erupted outside government buildings.
On Thursday, the Agriculture Ministry announced that farmers willing to shut down their businesses early would receive compensation ranging from 225,000 won to 600,000 won per dog, according to the Associated Press. Nonetheless, a farmers’ association has dismissed this proposal, insisting on a payment of 2 million won per dog.
While the consumption of dog meat is regarded as barbaric in many parts of the world, it has been a longstanding tradition in Korea. Although younger generations are increasingly moving away from the practice, approximately one million dogs are still slaughtered each year for their meat, as reported by the Korean Association of Edible Dogs.
The association estimates that the ban could impact about 3,000 restaurants and 3,500 farms that raise roughly 1.5 million dogs. However, figures from the Agriculture Ministry in April 2022 indicated there were 1,600 restaurants, 1,100 farms, and 570,000 dogs.
Anti-cruelty organizations have campaigned for such a ban for many years, but a spokesperson from Humane Society International Korea expressed concerns to the Associated Press, suggesting that the compensation might incentivize farmers to "potentially increase dog breeding to get more money from the scheme and more puppies being born into suffering."
The Korean Animal Welfare Association has urged local governments to closely monitor farms to prevent any further breeding of dogs for compensation purposes.
Once the ban is implemented, the Agriculture Ministry stated that it would promote the adoption of dogs from closed farms to minimize the number of euthanizations.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
