South Korea parliament passes Bill banning dog meat trade

South Korea’s parliament passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have long called an embarrassment for the country.

South Korea's parliament on January 9 passed a Bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have long called an embarrassment for the country.

The National Assembly passed the Bill by a 208-0 vote. It will come into effect after a three-year grace period and after it receives final approval from President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for their meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($23,000) in fines.

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, and at one point up to a million dogs were believed to be killed for the trade every year, but consumption has sharply declined recently, as Koreans embrace pet ownership in droves.

Eating dog meat is something of a taboo among younger, urban South Koreans, and pressure from animal rights activists has also been mounting on the government to outlaw the practice.

Official support for a ban has grown under Mr. Yoon, a self-professed animal lover who has adopted several stray dogs and cats with First Lady Kim Keon Hee — who is herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.

Activists welcomed the Bill, calling it "history in the making".