Response from Seongnam
We have received the response below from the city of Seongnam’s Finance Economy Division, Local Economy Department regarding our campaigns/petitions:
Seongnam Bundang-gu, South Korea, Shut down the illegal dog meat farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants.
Seongnam Jungwon-gu, South Korea, Shut down the illegal dog meat farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants.
Their response is whitewashed because they do not address the fact that dog meat farms, slaughterhouses and dog meat restaurants are still operating in their city. Dogs are still being bred in horrible conditions and brutally slaughtered in their dog meat industry. Two internet search results on Naver (the most popular search engine in Korea) – reveal one so-called “Health Food Shop” these commonly sell dog elixirs and cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju); and the second result for “dog meat restaurants” shows: 140 Health Food Shops and 75 dog meat restaurants in and within the vicinity of Seongnam.
Before you buy a product from Samsung, Hyundai, Kia, or LG, or visit Korea and spend your hard-earned money there, please remember how the Korean government is supporting criminals in the cruel dog meat industry by turning a blind eye to the unimaginable suffering of millions of sentient animals.
Response from city of Seongnam:
Result:
1. Thank you for your interest in municipal administration.
2. We will inform you about the project that Seongnam City has continuously pursued to solve civil complaints related to animal abuse, noise, odors, etc. and to fundamentally stop dog slaughter.
• In the case of the Moran Market, the relevant departments have jointly organized the task force team since 2016 in order to improve the environment. Also, they have been conducting crackdown on illegal activities and having discussions with the Association of Merchants in the market. The goal of the Moran Market Environment Project is to eradicate the act of mooring and killing living dogs in the marketplace. In December 2016, Seongnam City entered into an agreement with the Association of Merchants on demolishing slaughterhouse in the Moran Market. As a result, all 22 facilities, which have been mooring and killing dogs, were demolished.
• In Taepyeong-dong, where the dog slaughterhouse is located, the construction of the Million Neighborhood Park is confirmed. In order to create a park, dog slaughterhouse facilities were planned to be dismantled, but in December 2017, some facilities in the area requested a lawsuit against the dismantling. In November 2018, the administrative execution was carried out, and the facilities were completely demolished.
• Please understand that administrative regulations and willingness alone can not prohibit dog slaughter and distribution in situations where dog food is not yet prohibited by law. We understand the sadness, but we hope that you understand the result of the long and steady efforts in Seongnam City to dismantle 22 facilities in Moran Market and confirm the plan to construct a neighborhood park in Taepyeong-dong area. We will do our best to eradicate dog slaughter in Seongnam area.
3. Thank you for your interest in municipal administration, and if you have any other questions, please contact the Seongnam City Hall Regional Economic Department (031-729-2613) and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Organization Sangman City Hall
Department Regional Economic Department
Date of processing 2019.4.25.
Staff in Charge Hyerim Yang ([email protected])
Video: Seongnam, South Korea.
Let’s keep taking actions until Seongnam bans the dog and cat meat industry.
Our campaign is effective because now they are aware that the eyes of the world are watching what’s going on in their city’s dog meat industry and bring this issue the attention and action from their government. Let’s keep up the pressure by taking action!
Below is our comments on the satisfaction survey regarding their response:
We are not satisfied with the response to our petition, due to the following key reasons:
it fails to substantiate and evidence what direct actions the city of Seongnam is taking to enforce existing laws to disrupt the entrenched dog meat trade in South Korea. We have not been provided, in this response, with any evidence of any direct actions taken by the city of Seongnam, such as recorded information relating to inspections, monitoring and actual enforcement action taken against violators, in relation to dog meat farming, slaughterhouses and businesses selling dog meat and dog meat products (such as dog meat soup, dog elixir and dog soju); and
it fails to show what actions the city of Seongnam is taking to support the proposed legislation in the National Assembly that will help end the dog and cat meat trade.
Response from city of Seongnam in Korean:
양혜림 contact +82-031-729-2613
2019-04-25 09:43:36
1. 시정에 대한 관심에 감사드립니다.
2. 성남시에서 이루이지고 있는 개 계류 및 도살에 대하여 동물학대에 대한 문제 제기를 비롯해 소음, 악취등으로 인한 민원 문제를 해결하고자 근본적으로 도살행위를 중단시키기 위해 성남시에서 지속해온 사업에 대해 안내드리겠습니다.
가. 모란시장의 경우 환경정비를 위해 2016년부터 관련부서가 합동으로 T/F팀을 조직하여 지금까지 위법행위에 대한 단속과 상인회와의 협의를 병행하고 있습니다. 모란시장 환경정비 사업의 목표는 시장 내에서 살아있는 개를 계류하고 도살하는 행위를 완전히 근절하는 것이었습니다. 2016년 12월 성남시는 모란시장 내 계류/도살 시설 철거에 대해 상인회와 협약을 맺었고 그 결과 현재 모란시장에서 영업하던 22개 업소 중 22개 업소에서 개를 계류하고 도살하던 시설을 철거하였습니다.
나. 또한, 개 도살장이 위치한 태평동 지역은 밀리언 근린공원 조성이 확정된 곳으로공원 조성을 위해 개도살 시설 철거가 계획되어 있었으나 2017. 12. 해당 지역의 일부 업소에서 시설을 철거하는 행정대집행 취소 소송을 제기하는등 공원조성에 불복하였으나, 2018년 11월 행정대집행을 실시하여 시설물은 완전 철거하였습니다.
다. 아직까지 개식용 자체가 법으로 금지되지 않은 상황에서 행정적 규제와 의지만으로 개 도살과 유통을 금지 시킬 수 없음을 이해하여 주시기 바라며, 개 식용에 대한 안타까운 마음은 충분히 이해하나 모란시장 22개 업소에서 계류/도살 시설을 철거하고 태평동 지역에 근린 공원 조성 계획을 확정하여 시설물은 철거시킨 것은 시에서 장시간 꾸준히 노력해온 결과로 이해해 주시길 바랍니다. 앞으로도 성남 지역에서 개 도살을 근절시키기 위해 최선의 노력을 다하겠습니다.
3. 시정에 관심을 가져주셔서 감사드리며, 기타 의문사항이 있는 경우 성남시청 지역경제과(031-729-2613)로 연락주시면 성실하게 답변하여 드리겠습니다. 끝.
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Very sick people.
The Korean authorities must know that the civilised world looks on them in horror. For a country known for its hi-tech products it is appearing very backward. Are they blind to the disgusting photographs that in themselves are evidence enough that this trade is barbaric, filthy and unregulated? These dog meat traders are making a mockery of the authorities. If Korea wants to avoid the shame this business brings upon them they must eradicate it. Until they do, no matter how many sophisticated electronic products the produce the will always be ignorant barbaric and uncivilised to the rest of the advanced world.
I am horrified how the Korean people torture and kill “Man’s Best Friend”, the dog. I have had dogs my whole life. They are sensitive, loving, faithful animals that were domesticated by sophisticated cultures over thousands of years to be companion animals to man, NOT FOOD. But not in places like South Korea and China where they are first horrible tortured then killed. It is appalling what the South Koreans do to dogs AND cats. It’s time for this brutality to stop. Be a kind country, end the practice of torturing and killing dogs.
It is possible for Hyerim Yang to change the current dog and cat meat trade abomination if he really wants to do something honorable for these poor creatures. There is no good excuse for anyone to torture any living being. It seems like the only thing that will work is for the world to totally boycott South Korea – boycott their goods, boycott their companies, boycott their diplomats, boycott travel to South Korea, and any other way to boycott them. We should also boycott any US company that is based there or does business with South Korea. They don’t care about the animals, but they do care about their money. Momentum to stop the dog and cat meat trade is growing and it will become overwhelming, forcing South Korea to stop this barbaric practice! The US should pull its military troops and support out of South Korea until this abomination ends.