To eat or not to eat?..

Legislative efforts to end dog meat consumption in South Korea are gaining momentum amid rare political unity, following the presidential office's outspoken support for ending the centuries-old practice.

Calls to end this practice are not new in South Korea, where the consumption of dog meat is neither explicitly prohibited nor legalized. However, the anti-dog meat campaign drew fresh attention at the end of August when First Lady Kim Keon Hee made an unexpected visit to a civic group's press conference calling for an end to such a practice.

The ruling People Power Party has announced its intention to push for a dog meat ban bill named after the First Lady. In a rare display of unity, the main opposition Democratic Party has also pledged to address the issue by the end of 2024.

As many as four bills on this pressing topic are under consideration in parliament. And two more resolutions from two competing parties!

These initiatives are designed to protect our neighbors from being eaten, but to ensure that those employed in the industry do not remain without work. However, the industry is suspicious of the second part of the plan (this is about saving jobs, etc.).

However, the champions of tradition have another argument: “Stop taking away the people’s sovereignty over food!”

According to statistics, as many as 64% of Koreans 18 and older have a negative attitude towards eating dog meat. Over 8 years, since 2015, this figure has increased by 20 percentage points (from 44%).

Are we waiting, getting ready?