Animal rights activists on Tuesday welcomed the South Korean President’s offer to look into banning consumption of dog meat.
President Moon Jae-in raised the need for a possible formal ban on dog meat ban in the country. Dog meat is neither legal nor explicitly banned in South Korea.
The president made the remarks while being briefed by the prime minister on the government’s plan to improve the system to take care of abandoned pets.
During a meeting with his prime minister on Monday, President Moon asked “if it’s time to carefully consider” a ban, according to his office. It’s unclear when a review would take place and when or whether a ban would be realized.
Moon is known as a dog lover, living with several dogs at the presidential compound.
South Korea has the Animal Protection Law intended mainly to prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs and cats but not dog consumption itself.
Restaurants that serve it are a dwindling business here as younger people find dog meat a less appetizing dining option, but some people oppose a ban as a surrender to Western pressure.
A few activists gathered in central Seoul on Tuesday to call for the government and parliament to work out steps to officially prohibit dog meat consumption. They placed a big placard on the street that reads “Legislate law banning the slaughters of dogs and cats!”
“We actively welcome President Moon Jae-in’s comments instructing a review of the dog meat consumption ban and hope there would be substantial progress on that,” animal rights organizations said in a joint statement.
Activists later visited Moon’s presidential office and parliament to convey their calls for swift action to ban dog meat consumption, said Lee Won Bok, head of the Korea Association of Animal Protection.
A public survey in 2018 indicated about 80% of South Koreans had not eaten dog meat in the previous year.
Some older people believe that dog meat act as an aphrodisiac and enhances sexual stamina.
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