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Sister City Campaign – Suwon, South Korea – Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: Tell Sister City, Suwon, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

If you want to help fight the grisly South Korean dog and cat meat trade and make a difference in South Korea, here are a few quick actions you can take that could save millions of dogs and cats each year.

Suwon became a Sister city with Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, in November 3, 2015.

Culture, art, high-end shops, high tech companies, including the headquarters for electronics giant Samsung, can be found within the city of Suwon; regrettably, so can the dog meat restaurants and so-called ‘health centers,’ places where horribly abused and brutally slaughtered dogs and cats are served up as food and drinks.

In South Korea, there are countless dog slaughterhouses, markets, and restaurants where the dogs, who have been tortured their entire lives, end up being slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, such as by electrocution, hanging, stabbing, beating; and then thrown into boiling water – sometimes while they are still alive. In many places, dogs are being killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs; and this takes place in public and broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

Video: There are about 2,000-3,000 illegal dog farms in South Korea. Even at this moment, dogs are being slaughtered. Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA). 대한민국에 존재하는 불법 개농장은 약 2-3천 개. 지금 이 순간에도 개들은 위험에 처해 있습니다.

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Suwon’s dog meat demand.

Two searches on Naver (the most popular search engine in Korea) – one was for so-called “Health Centers,” which commonly sell dog elixirs and cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju), and the second one was for “dog meat restaurants” – resulted in many dozens of Health Centers and dog meat restaurants in the vicinity of Suwon.

Click HERE for the photos of dog meat restaurants & ‘Health Center’ in Nam-Moon and Ji-Dong Markets in Suwon.

Even if half of these ‘Health’ Food Centers and restaurants serve dog and cat ‘ingredients’ in one form or another, imagine how many dog/cat slaughterhouses must be present in the vicinity of Suwon to supply these outlets.

There are laws in South Korea against selling dogs and cats for consumption, yet these laws are blatantly ignored.

Call for Action

  • 📬 Send a letter (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

    Lord Mayor Martin Horn
    City of Freiburg
    Rathausplatz 2-4
    79098 Freiburg
    Germany

    📬 Send a copy of your letter to Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-Young:
    Mayor Lee Jae-jun
    City of Suwon
    241 Hyowon-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do
    Postal Code 16490
    South Korea

    📬 Address in Korean:
    이재준 수원시장님
    수원시청
    (우)16490 경기도 수원시 팔달구 효원로 241
    South Korea

  • Suggested message

    Subject: Freiburg im Breisgau Lord Mayor Martin Horn and the members of the Municipal Council: Tell Sister City, Suwon, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

    Dear Lord Mayor Martin Horn and the members of the Freiburg im Breisgau Municipal Council:

    Please watch the videos from South Korea’s dog meat industry:
    Shocking Cruelty of South Korean Dog Meat Industry Part 1 of 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
    Part 2 of 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
    In South Korea’s dog meat farms, dogs are burned to death in forest fires: https://youtu.be/mh1lEGt2gjU

    Do you think Freiburg im Breisgau should be a Sister city to any city that allows dogs and cats to be tortured and eaten?

    Suwon is one of the largest dog meat consumption areas in South Korea. The Korean internet searches resulted in many dozens of Health Centers which commonly sell dog/cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju) and dog meat restaurants in the vicinity of Suwon.

    Dogs suffer their entire lives in filthy, feces encrusted raised wire cages in utter misery, only to be slaughtered in the most horrific ways. They are killed by electrocution, hammer strikes to their head and necks, being hung, being beaten to death, having their throats slit, being burned alive with a blowtorch, or thrown into a vat of boiling water while still alive. In many places in Korea, dogs are killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs who tremble with terror. These poor dogs are often burned alive in their cages, unable to escape. Also, people’s beloved pets are often stolen and sold to these businesses, where they meet the same horrific fate. Dogs and puppies who died of diseases are tossed away like garbage, often left in front of cages to rot while the mother dogs watch and cry out in despair for their dead babies.

    Would you please urge Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun to close down all illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, markets, truckers, and restaurants that serve their products? An online petition calling for your support in ending the horrendous dog and cat meat cruelty in Suwon is in progress: https://chng.it/DFQtGLdc.

    On behalf of all the animals suffering unimaginable cruelty in the dog and cat meat industry, we thank you and await your reply.

    Sincerely,

    Name, City, Country

    Suggested message in German

    Herr Oberbürgermeister Martin Horn und die Mitglieder des Gemeinderats von Freiburg im Breisgau: Bitte teilen Sie Ihrer Sister City, Suwon, Südkorea, mit, dass Sie gegen die Folter und den Verzehr von Hunden und Katzen sind!

    Sehr geehrter Herr Oberbürgermeister Martin Horn,
    Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren Mitglieder des Gemeinderats von Freiburg im Breisgau,

    Bitte sehen Sie sich die Videos aus der südkoreanischen Hundefleischindustrie an:
    Schockierende Grausamkeit der südkoreanischen Hundefleischindustrie Teil 1 von 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
    Teil 2 von 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
    In Südkoreas Hundefleischfarmen werden Hunde bei Waldbränden verbrannt: https://youtu.be/mh1lEGt2gjU

    Finden Sie, dass Freiburg im Breisgau Partnerstadt einer Stadt sein sollte, die es erlaubt, Hunde und Katzen zu quälen und zu verzehren?

    Suwon ist eines der größten Konsumgebiete für Hundefleisch in Südkorea. Die koreanischen Internetrecherchen ergaben viele Dutzend Gesundheitszentren die üblicherweise Hunde-/Katzenelixiere (auch als Hunde-Soju und Katzen-Soju bekannt) und Hundefleischrestaurants in der Nähe von Suwon verkaufen.

    Hunde leiden ihr ganzes Leben lang in dreckigen, mit Fäkalien verkrusteten Drahtkäfigen in äußerstem Elend, nur um auf die grausamste Art und Weise geschlachtet zu werden. Sie werden durch Stromschlag, Hammerschläge auf Kopf und Hals getötet, aufgehängt, zu Tode geprügelt, ihnen wird die Kehle durchgeschnitten, sie werden mit einer Lötlampe bei lebendigem Leib verbrannt oder sie werden noch am Leben in einen Bottich mit kochendem Wasser geworfen. An vielen Orten in Korea werden Hunde vor den Augen anderer verängstigter, eingesperrter Hunde getötet, die vor Entsetzen zittern. Diese armen Hunde werden oft lebendig in ihren Käfigen verbrannt und können nicht entkommen. Außerdem werden die geliebten Haustiere der Menschen oft gestohlen und an diese Unternehmen verkauft, wo sie dasselbe schreckliche Schicksal erleiden. Hunde und Welpen, die an Krankheiten gestorben sind, werden wie Müll weggeworfen und oft vor Käfigen zurückgelassen, wo sie verrotten, während die Mutterhunde zusehen und verzweifelt nach ihren toten Babys schreien.

    Würden Sie bitte den Bürgermeister von Suwon, Yeom Tae-Young, auffordern, alle illegalen Hundefarmen und Schlachthöfe, Märkte, Trucker und Restaurants, die ihre Produkte anbieten, zu schließen? Eine Online-Petition, die um Ihre Unterstützung bei der Beendigung der grausamen Hunde- und Katzenfleischquälerei in Suwon bittet, ist in Arbeit: https://chng.it/DFQtGLdc.

    Im Namen aller Tiere, die unvorstellbare Grausamkeiten in der Hunde- und Katzenfleischindustrie erleiden, danken wir Ihnen und erwarten Ihre Antwort.

    Freundliche Grüsse,

    Name, City, Country

  • ☎️ Call the Freiburg im Breisgau’ mayor’s office: +011 49 761 201-1000 (Calling from the United States)
  • Suggested phone message

    Hello, I’m calling to speak to someone in the Mayor’s Office to ask for their help on an important issue regarding your Sister city, Suwon in South Korea.

    If I could explain: Dog-meat consumption is currently being practiced in that city, even though it is illegal under South Korean Law – but the laws are not enforced. The dog and cat meat trades involve extreme and widespread animal cruelty, and the animals suffer unimaginable pain and distress. They cannot speak for themselves, so I am calling on their behalf. And, I believe that your city would wish to be made aware of this issue, as you would not want to affiliate with a city where illegal and immoral torture is being carried out on any animal, and particularly not on ones that are loyal, trusting creatures, which look up to us humans as their guardians.

    These illegal trades are being allowed to continue by Suwon authorities – even though there is growing opposition from pet guardians across South Korea, and throughout the world.

    So, I am asking you to please speak with your counterparts in Suwon to urge them to enforce their laws, not ignore them, show compassion to their companion animals, and respect their citizens by bringing these trades to an end.

    I know that South Korea has many beautiful, admirable, and noble practices and customs worth preserving, but this is not one of them.

    Thank you for your time and understanding.

  • Send a Twitter message!

    .@suwonloves .@ggholic .@freiburg .@OBMartinHorn #FreiburgimBreisgau Tell #SisterCity #Suwon #SouthKorea that you oppose torture/consumption of #dogmeat #catmeat 🐾 https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ😢https://vimeo.com/754160791😭https://chng.it/DFQtGLdc😿https://koreandogs.org/sister-city-suwon-freiburg/
  • No matter where you live, PLEASE SHARE these actions with your friends, especially those who live in Freiburg im Breisgau! 🙏

  1. Rosana Trevisan
    Rosana TrevisanMay 1,22

    Help

  2. PHALA BOWLES
    PHALA BOWLESMay 1,22

    YOU WILL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGE ON JUDGEMENT DAY

  3. Anu Sipiläinen
    Anu SipiläinenMay 1,22

    Lopettakaa tuo julmuus lemmikeille ! Ne eivät ole syötäviä vaan rakastettavia perheenjäseniä !

  4. Sue
    SueMay 3,22

    emails sent

  5. Sue
    SueMay 4,22

    I received this amazing reply from an amazing human in Freiberg.

    dr Wolf-Dieter WinklerFL City CouncilFon: 0761/201-1830Rathausplatz 2-4Fax: 0761/201-183979098 FreiburgMail: [email protected] Director: Dr. Wolfgang DeppertHome:www.freiburg-lebenswert.deFreiburg, May 1st, 2022by e-mail to:[email protected] according to § 24 Para. 4 GemO on subject matter outside of meetings

    Here: Cruelty to animals for slaughter in Suwon

    Dear Lord Mayor, A few years ago, the mayor of the South Korean city of Suwon, Mr. Yeom Tae-Young, approached your predecessor, former mayor Dieter Salomon, and campaigned intensively for a twinning with Freiburg. The reason for his initiative was that he saw Freiburg as a worthwhile role model because of its ecological orientation and that such a partnership would also result in an ecological conversion of Suwon. The municipal council of Freiburg finally agreed to the desire for a town twinning. The pictures that Jörg Gaiser, who lives in Baiersbronn, sent to us are all the more disturbing.

    The worst animal cruelty is shown, especially by dogs and cats, which, according to Mr. Gaiser’s descriptions, takes place in Suwon. It is completely incomprehensible to me how an ecological orientation of Suwon’s urban politics can be reconciled with such cruel machinations. Ecology and animal welfare are inextricably linked. If animals have to eke out their lives with the goal that they end up on people’s plates, then decency and respect for these animals should mean that they don’t have to suffer a horrible life beforehand. Of course, I am aware that there are also processes in German factory farms that have anything but animal welfare as their goal. However, I think that Freiburg has a special responsibility for unsustainable conditions in the partner cities. This applies to human rights in Isfahan as well as to animal rights in Suwon. I urge you to contact the mayor of Suwon immediately and not only point out these abuses to him, but also ask him to take immediate remedial action. I am sure that the citizens of Freiburg will have little understanding for this town twinning when they find out about these conditions. Best regards, Dr. Wolf-Dieter Wink

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