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South Korea Passes New Animal Welfare Law
Dog and cat meat consumption still not expressly prohibited

South Korea has passed new animal welfare laws that will offer increased protections to animals used for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment. Unfortunately, the new laws do not specifically ban the killing of cats and dogs for human consumption, so IDA will continue with our longstanding campaign to end this brutal practice.We are pleased that the plans for "hygienic control" and legalization of the dog meat trade have been defeated, as well as a measure that would have legally distinguished "pets" from "food animals," thus officially legitimizing the dog meat trade. These proposals may well have succeeded if not for the efforts of animal advocacy organizations, including IDA and our allies in South Korea. Some of the changes in the new law include:

- Increased fines for animal cruelty.
- Stricter regulations regarding animals used in product testing.
- Prohibitions on harming animals for gambling, advertising, and entertainment purposes.
- Improvements in animal transport.
- Making it illegal to kill animals by hanging, or to slaughter them in public or in front of other animals.

IDA remains committed to stopping the dog and cat meat trade in South Korea, and will continue to support our allies working for this change in their own country. We have recently provided financial support to both the Korean Association for Animal Protection (KAAP) and Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) to bolster their efforts to end dog and cat consumption in South Korea. We are co-organizing the International Day for Korean Dogs and Cats on Wednesday, July 25 with the two organizations as well. Please join us, or hold a demonstration at the South Korean embassy or consulate in your area. Contact at (415) 388-9641, ext. 228 or melissa@idausa.org to find an event in your area or for details on how to organize your own.

What You Can Do

Take Action: Urge Korean Prime Minister to Strengthen Animal Protection Law 

Write to the South Korean government and ask that they amend the Animal Protection Law as described above. 

Ambassador Lee, Tae-Sik
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2450 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202)939-5600
Fax: (202)797-0595
E-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org