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South Korea to take dog meat off the menu | Food News<\/p>\n
The Asian country hopes to end the age-old practice of dog meat consumption by 2027.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal protections.<\/p>\n The government and the ruling People Power Party on Friday agreed to introduce before the end of the year an act to end dog meat consumption by 2027, officials said.<\/p>\n The age-old Korean practice of eating dog has long drawn criticism from overseas. But there has also been increasing opposition at home, particularly from the younger generation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is time to put an end to social conflicts and controversies around dog meat consumption through the enactment of a special act to end it,\u201d Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the People Power Party, said at a meeting with government officials and animal protection activists.<\/p>\n The legislation would ban the breeding of dogs for slaughter as well as dog meat sales, local media reported. A three-year grace period would be matched by financial support for businesses to transition out of the trade.<\/p>\n Yu said the the bill is expected to win bipartisan support, which should allow it to sail through parliament.<\/p>\n Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun told the meeting the government would implement a ban quickly and provide the maximum possible support for those in the dog meat industry to close their businesses.<\/p>\n First lady Kim Keon-hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption, and along with her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol, has adopted stray dogs.<\/p>\n Anti-dog meat bills have failed in the past because of protests by those involved in the industry and concern about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners.<\/p>\n Eating dog meat is much less common than it used to be, but it is still favoured by some older people. The meat continues to be served in some restaurants.<\/p>\n Animal protection groups welcomed the prospect of a ban. \u201cA dream come true for all of us who have campaigned so hard to end this cruelty,\u201d Humane Society International said in a statement.<\/p>\n But representatives of a national dog meat farmers association expressed outrage, calling the move \u201cthreatening\u201d to their right to live.<\/p>\n South Korea has about 1,150 dog-breeding farms, 34 slaughter houses and 219 dog meat distributors in the country, according to government data. About 1,600 restaurants serve dog meat.<\/p>\n A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64 percent of South Koreans opposed dog meat consumption. The survey found 8 percent of respondents had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27 percent in 2015.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0635\u062f\u0631<\/a>
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