South Korea's dog meat trade may be on its last legs as farmers face low consumption and threats of bans

James PasleyAug 16, 2023, 01:14 IST

An animal rights protestor beside a dog in South Korea.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

In April this year, South Korea's first lady Kim Keon pledged to try to stop dog meat from being eaten in South Korea.
Her statement was met with backlash from the dog meat industry.

South Korea's dog meat trade appears to be on its last legs.

After being a traditional food source for hundreds of years, its place in South Korean cuisine has become contested over the last few decades.

In 2016, the industry was responsible for supplying about 2 million dogs for meat from about 17,000 dog farms. By 2023, the number of dogs for meat had fallen to around 700,000 to 1 million and the number of farms had fallen to about 3,000 to 4,000.

For centuries, South Koreans have eaten dog meat.

A chef cooks dog meat at a restaurant in South Korea.Chung Sun-Jun/Getty Images

Dog meat isn’t only eaten in South Korea. It’s consumed in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, North Korea, and across Africa.

A person grills dog meat in Cambodia in 2013.Igor Bilic/Getty Images

South Korea's dog meat trade has come under increasing scrutiny over the last decade.

Dogs look out from a cage at a dog farm during a rescue event in South Korea.Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

Another reason is some of the brutal techniques involved.

South Korean animal rights activists display likenesses of dead dogs during a protest against the dog meat trade in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea.Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

The other reason is years of vocal protesting from animal rights groups.

Activists from animal rights groups hold dead puppies retrieved from a dog meat farm during a protest in Seoul, South Korea.Ed Jones//AFP via Getty Images

South Korea's dog meat industry has been on a downward trend for years. In 2016, it supplied about 2 million dogs for meat from about 17,000 dog farms.

Two dogs awaiting slaughter in South Korea.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

By 2023, the number of dogs supplied to restaurants had fallen to around 700,000 to 1 million and the number of farms had fallen to about 3,000 to 4,000.

An activist holds a poster protesting the dog meat trade during a rally in South Korea.Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In 2018, South Korea faced increased international scrutiny when it hosted the Winter Olympics.

A woman poses with her dogs next to Olympic Rings in South Korea.Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Picture Alliance/Getty Images

The dog meat trade took another hit in June 2018 when a South Korean court ruled that killing dogs to eat them was illegal, although actually eating dog meat remained legal.

Dogs wait in cages at a dog slaughterhouse in South Korea.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The dog meat trade took another hit in June 2018 when a South Korean court ruled that killing dogs to eat them was illegal, although actually eating dog meat remained legal.

Korean dog meat farmers have argued that the dogs they breed are different from dogs kept as pets. But this distinction has narrowed in South Korea over the last three decades.

A woman walks a dog in the South Korean village of Bukchon Hanok.Andia/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Korean dog meat farmers have argued that the dogs they breed are different from dogs kept as pets. But this distinction has narrowed in South Korea over the last three decades.

Suh Eun-kook, a psychology professor at Yonsei University, told CNN that human's have a different relationship with dogs because the animals provide "unconditional satisfaction."

A woman holds a dog over her shoulder at the beach in Gangneung, South Korea.Henrik Schmidt/Picture Alliance/Getty Images

Suh Eun-kook, a psychology professor at Yonsei University, told CNN that human's have a different relationship with dogs because the animals provide "unconditional satisfaction."

In 2021, the government established a task force to review the dog meat industry and consider a ban after a poll showed 84% of the Korean population no longer ate dog meat.

A caged dog looks out during a rescue event following the closure of the farm in Namyangju on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea.Yung Yeon-Ye/AFP/Getty Images

In 2021, the government established a task force to review the dog meat industry and consider a ban after a poll showed 84% of the Korean population no longer ate dog meat.

In April, South Korea's first lady Kim Keon-Hee declared she "will try to put an end to dog meat consumption before the tenure of this government ends."

South Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee exits her motorcade in Washington.Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Yoon Chu-wol, a dog meat restaurant owner in Seoul, told Time the days of a booming dog trade were already over.

A South Korean dog farmer eats dog meat during an animal protest rally in Seoul, South Korea. Yoon Chu-wol is not pictured.Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

It's still unclear if the dog meat industry will be banned.

A chef cooks dog meat soup at a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

But that request has not been agreed to and a number of animal rights groups have said they oppose a slow wind-down of the industry.

South Korean animal rights activists protest against the dog meat trade in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea.Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

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South Korea's dog meat trade may be on its last legs as farmers face low consumption and threats of bans

For centuries, South Koreans have eaten dog meat.

Dog meat isn’t only eaten in South Korea. It’s consumed in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, North Korea, and across Africa.

South Korea's dog meat trade has come under increasing scrutiny over the last decade.

Another reason is some of the brutal techniques involved.

The other reason is years of vocal protesting from animal rights groups.

South Korea's dog meat industry has been on a downward trend for years. In 2016, it supplied about 2 million dogs for meat from about 17,000 dog farms.

By 2023, the number of dogs supplied to restaurants had fallen to around 700,000 to 1 million and the number of farms had fallen to about 3,000 to 4,000.

In 2018, South Korea faced increased international scrutiny when it hosted the Winter Olympics.

The dog meat trade took another hit in June 2018 when a South Korean court ruled that killing dogs to eat them was illegal, although actually eating dog meat remained legal.

Korean dog meat farmers have argued that the dogs they breed are different from dogs kept as pets. But this distinction has narrowed in South Korea over the last three decades.

Suh Eun-kook, a psychology professor at Yonsei University, told CNN that human's have a different relationship with dogs because the animals provide "unconditional satisfaction."

In 2021, the government established a task force to review the dog meat industry and consider a ban after a poll showed 84% of the Korean population no longer ate dog meat.

In April, South Korea's first lady Kim Keon-Hee declared she "will try to put an end to dog meat consumption before the tenure of this government ends."

Yoon Chu-wol, a dog meat restaurant owner in Seoul, told Time the days of a booming dog trade were already over.

It's still unclear if the dog meat industry will be banned.

But that request has not been agreed to and a number of animal rights groups have said they oppose a slow wind-down of the industry.