Members of the Korean Dog Meat Association urge an end to a proposed bill banning the consumption of dog meat during their rally in front of the presidential office in Seoul in this file photo taken Nov. 30, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — An association of dog meat farmers held a protest rally Tuesday against a proposed bill banning the consumption of dog meat, saying unilateral legislation amounts to an abuse of legislative power.
The protest by members of the Korean Dog Meat Association came as a subcommittee of the parliamentary committee on agriculture and food was set to discuss a special bill banning the raising of dogs for meat, as well as the butchering, distributing and selling of dog meat.
The proposed bill, championed by the government and the ruling People Power Party, would give a three-year grace period upon the passage of the bill, with law enforcement slated to begin in 2027. The government and the party seek to sign the bill into law within the year.
Later in the day, the main opposition Democratic Party passed the bill through the subcommittee during a meeting that the ruling party boycotted due to a political row unrelated to the issue.
Holding a press conference in front of the National Assembly, the Korean Dog Meat Association urged a halt to the bill, saying that dog meat consumption is a matter of people’s basic rights, including the right to choose what they eat.
They also argued that unilaterally legislating bans on dog meat consumption without considering the opinions of the public and those concerned amounts to “an abuse of power” by the government and the legislature.
The association also accused the government of threatening the survival of dog meat farmers, distributors and restaurants, saying the government’s pledged assistance for the dog meat industry’s conversion to other types of commerce falls far short of expectations.
The group said corresponding government compensation and assistance should precede the legislation, demanding 2 million won (US$1,521) per dog over a five-year period along with a minimum 10-year grace period.
According to government statistics, there are around 1,150 dog farms, 34 butchering businesses, 219 distributors and approximately 1,600 restaurants that sell food made with dog meat.
(Yonhap)
