South Korea to Ban Dog Meat by 2027
The Facts
South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol administration and the ruling People Power Party agreed on Friday to push for a ban on the controversial age-old practice of dog meat consumption later this year, which would come into full effect in 2027 after a three-year grace period to phase out the industry.
Seoul estimates that there are around 1,150 dog farms, 34 butchering businesses, 219 distributors, and 1.6K restaurants that sell dog meat across the country. Financial support would be limited to legally registered businesses that submit a phase-out plan to local authorities.
The Spin
Narrative A
South Korea will, finally, ban this cruel practice, closing an infamous chapter in its history and saving the lives of up to one million dogs a year. This bill reflects the zeitgeist of South Korean society, which has increasingly opposed dog meat consumption while supporting a dog-friendly future.
Narrative B
Dog meat consumption has indeed dwindled sharply in South Korea amid a rapid cultural change, with this practice tending to gradually disappear as the older generations die out. As there are no objective moral or ethical criteria that justify specifically banning dog meat, this bill would dangerously codify a mainstream cultural taboo at the expense of individual freedom of choice.