South Korean president called for end to tradition of eating dog meat

South Korean President Moon Jae-in lifted the ban on eating dogs in the country, a traditional practice that is becoming an international disgrace.

This meat has long been part of South Korean cuisine and around 1 million dogs are said to be eaten each year, But consumption has declined as more and more people adopt animals as companions rather than livestock.

The practice is somewhat taboo among the younger generations and pressure from animal rights activists has increased.

“Isn’t it time to seriously consider banning dog meat? “ Moon asked Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum at a weekly meeting Monday, according to the presidential spokesman.

The pet industry in South Korea is growing, with an increasing number of people living with dogs in their homes, including the president, but there are still dog farms, where certain breeds of dogs are bred for l ‘food. Moon is a known dog lover and has several dogs in the presidential compound, including one he rescued after taking office.

Tory’s adoption was one of Moon’s promises during his presidential campaign and the dog became the first rescue dog to arrive at the Maison Bleue.

Moon made these remarks when informed you of a plan to improve the care system for abandoned animals, said his spokesperson.

The main objective of South Korea’s animal welfare law is prevent the cruel slaughter of cats and dogs, but does not prohibit consumption itself.

However, authorities have used the law and other hygiene rules to crack down on dog farms and restaurants ahead of international events such as the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics.

In 2017, Taiwan, another place where the consumption of these animals was somewhat traditional, explicitly banned the sale and consumption of cat and dog meat and increased the penalty for animal cruelty.

Moon’s remarks are just a glimpse of what could happen for South Korea in terms of legislation to protect animals, but it’s not yet a done deal.

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