South Korea Parliament Passes Landmark Bill To Ban Dog Meat

South Korea's parliament passed a bill to do away with the consumption of dog meat through a rare unanimous vote on the legislation that President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to enact as law.

Lawmakers in the bitterly divided National Assembly voted 208-0, with two abstentions, on Tuesday to end the breeding, butchering and sale of dog meat for consumption. Animal rights groups and backers of the legislation have seen the measure as reflecting the changing values in the country.

Slaughtering a dog for food purposes is punishable by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won ($23,000). Breeding, or distributing a dog for consumption is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of up to 20 million won.

Enforcement of the law will begin in 2027 after a three-year grace period and the legislation offers subsidies to those in the dog meat industry to help them switch trades. Yoon pledged in his presidential campaign to end the consumption of dog meat and first lady Kim Keon Hee has been one of the most prominent people pushing to end the practice.

South Korea is one of several nations where dog meat has been consumed and faced international criticism for parts of the trade that include killing the animals through bludgeoning, hanging and electrocution.

While pet ownership has grown and the public has turned away from dog meat - with consumption dropping sharply over the past several years - attempts to introduce bans have previously failed due to strong opposition from dog farmers and restaurant owners.

South Korean government data showed that there are currently about 1,600 restaurants serving dog meat and some 1,150 dog farms supplying the industry in the country, Yonhap News reported.