South Korea plans to ban eating dogs by 2027

The South Korean government has announced that it is planning to bring an end to eating dog meat.

South Korea have been indicating for a while that they planned to ban eating dog meat, with their former president Moon Jae-in saying in 2021 that it might be time for a change.

Up to a million dogs are farmed and eaten in South Korea each year, but the number of Koreans eating dogs has declined, and animal rights activists have long called for a boycott of dog meat.

Now, it sounds like a ban will come into place by 2027, with the government planning to give a grace period before making it illegal altogether.

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Yu Eui-dong of South Korea's ruling People Power Party made the announcement at a meeting of politicians and animal rights activists that the clock was ticking on dog meat.

"It 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," he said.

"We will provide full support to farmers, butchers and other businesses facing closure or transition due to this law."

However, only legally registered dog meat farmers and sellers would be able to access this support to transition away.

He said that before the end of this year, the government would attempt to pass a bill banning the consumption of dog meat, and that this would likely go through parliament without much of a problem.

If the bill is passed then it would trigger a three year grace period for the dog meat industry to shut down the practice, meaning that it would be brought to an end by 2027 at the latest.

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According to the Independent, previous attempts to ban dog meat in South Korea have been blocked by opposition from dog farmers and people with concerns over the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners who supply dog meat.

However, a majority of Koreans support a ban on dog meat, and in a poll conducted in 2020, 84 percent say they've never eaten it.

Animal rights activist JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International, welcomed the announcement with a statement.

They said: "With so many dogs needlessly suffering for a meat that hardly anyone eats, the government’s bill delivers a bold plan that must now urgently be passed by the Assembly so that a legislative ban can be agreed as soon as possible to help South Korea close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future."