‘Over 500,000 dogs are raised for meat in Korea’
Over 520,000 dogs are being raised for meat in South Korea as of this February, with about 388,000 slaughtered a year, a study revealed Monday.
There are a total of 1,156 dog farms across the country and they each keep an average of 450 animals. The total number of restaurants serving dog meat across the country is 1,666.
These are the findings of a two-month field study conducted by the country’s government-civilian consultative body on dog meat consumption, which was announced Monday.
The panel also revealed the results of its public opinion survey, conducted in May on 1,514 adults here. A total of 55.8 per cent said Korea should stop eating dog meat. Some 28.4 per cent of the respondents said the practice should be preserved.
A slight majority of the people, 52.7 per cent, disagreed with legalizing the dog meat trade, which currently stands in a legal grey area. Close to 40 per cent agreed.
Eighty-eight per cent of the respondents said they don’t eat dog meat.
The dog meat task force, comprised of 21 members, was launched in December to come up with policy recommendations on dog meat consumption in order for the government to take measures to deliver them, including related law revisions.
Its operations, originally set to end in April, have been extended for further discussions on the sensitive issue.
Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), The Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
