The President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, can soon ban the purchase and consumption of dog meat in South Korea, the thought came up from the increase of animal awareness rights in the country.
For a long time, the debate over the slaughtering of dogs for consumption has been in the heat. South Korea has constantly been active with the rules and regulations for the safety of the animals and is working towards spreading awareness among the citizens.
Meanwhile, in August 2021, South Korea’s justice ministry told in an interview that the nation has some plans to amend the civil code to grant legal status to the animals in which people who abuse animals or abandon will be punished. The consumption of dog meat has declined in South Korea and other countries like China and many more since the 2000s.
This issue of dog meat consumption in South Korea has already caught the attention, and in a recent football podcast, a former player, Park Ji-sung of Manchester United, has requested the supporters of the club not to sing the chant which comes with reference to the consumption of dog meat in South Korea and added that all these stereotypes make South Korean players uncomfortable. Park feels sorry for the incident when Hwang Hee-chan signed for Molineux in August got to hear that chant; Park added that the fans did not mean any kind of offense to Hwang, and he urged fans to stop singing that chant which is a racial insult for the Koreans.
According to the reports, approximately one million dogs are still slaughtered annually in South Korea for consumption, but the demand for dog meat has declined slightly over the years. These came into the limelight when South Korea hosted Olympics in 1988 and foreigners came to know about the practice, which resulted in severe criticism from various across the globe.
The history of the consumption of dog meat starts from the Joseon Dynasty and Goryeo Dynasty as the consumption of beef was limited at that time, and the people at that time found dog meat to be easily available, just like pork and beef. The pigs, cows, and chickens were specially reared to meet the need for meat in the 20th century, but the Koreans did not stop the consumption of dog meat, especially the men.
Now, most of the Koreans considers dogs as their family member and not as their food, and 59% of the citizens think that the dog meat consumption should be banned and legal restrictions should be imposed for the consumption. But even after the decline in the consumption of dog meat, the shop keepers and the sellers insist on it as their occupation is based on dog meat sales. They are of the opinion that their livelihood is at risk.
In the last few years, the pressure has been increased on the Korean Government to shut down the markets, shops, and farms that sell dog meat. South Korea has also scheduled the presidential elections in the coming March, and many candidates have promised to ban dog meat in the nation. Few little changes have been made in the culinary practices in the DPRK, and also they somehow resemble the food habit from South Korea before the 1970s. Dishes made with dog meat form an integral part of the national food in Korea.
People have now started raising dogs as pets, and as a result, the restaurants and cafes are now compelled to sell dog meat and dishes behind closed doors. Looking on to the upcoming elections, many have vowed to ban dog meat, probably making things better.
