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Yonhap News in South Korea reported on December 12, 2023, that the special bill to end dog meat consumption passed through the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Subcommittee in the National Assembly.
👉 Click HERE for the previous related post, “Will South Korea finally ban dog meat?”.

The “special bill to end dog meat consumption” contains provisions that will finally end dog meat consumption in Korea. However, many hurdles remain to overcome, such as the full assembly of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, Legislation and Judiciary Committee System and Voluntary Examination, and a resolution of the plenary session. If the discussions on the ending of dog meat consumption are delayed further, it could result in the deaths of countless more lives. Therefore, we must continue our campaign until the special bill is enacted through the approval of the plenary session and until dog meat consumption in Korea finally ends.

Below is our translation of the news:

On December 12, 2023, the special bill to end dog meat consumption passed through the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee, with the exclusive approval of the opposition party (Democratic Party).

Democratic Party members of the National Assembly held a subcommittee meeting in the afternoon and independently passed the “Special Bill to End the Breeding, Slaughter, and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption Purposes.”

The People Power Party boycotted the meeting in protest against the reintroduction of the Grain Management Law, which President Yoon Seok-yeol had vetoed.

The main content of the law prohibits the act of raising, slaughtering, and distributing dogs for consumption purposes.

The law also includes a mandatory provision for government support to establish livelihood measures for farmers, slaughterhouse operators, distributors, and restaurant operators in response to the termination of dog meat consumption.

An amendment to the Animal Protection Act with the aim of eradicating the culture of dog meat consumption was also passed.

Democratic party members of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Committee held a press conference in the National Assembly, stating, “There is significant meaning in putting an end to the national controversy surrounding dog meat consumption and taking the first step in the legislative process.”

They also criticized the People Power Party members of the committee, stating, “We repeatedly requested the convening of meetings to review bills such as the Grain Management Law, which focuses on stabilizing agricultural prices, but the People Power Party members did not even attend the meeting.”

A representative of the People Power Party members of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Committee stated in a phone call, “While we support the law to end dog meat  consumption, despite the People Power Party’s objection, Democratic Party tried to review the Grain Management Law together, leading to our decision not to attend.”