Four out of 10 dog farms in Korea closed since dog meat ban

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Four out of 10 dog farms in Korea closed since dog meat ban

Published: 10 Feb. 2025, 16:00

An alleyway where vendors sell dog meat in Seoul on Feb. 9. [NEWS1]

Four out of 10 dog farms in Korea have closed their doors since the country legislated a law banning dog meat consumption last year, the Agriculture Ministry said Monday.

Of the total 1,537 dog farms, 623, or 40 percent, have shut down their business since the government implemented the special bill on banning dog meat consumption in August, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

By the end of 2025, some 60 percent of the total are expected to close.

The bill bans the breeding, butchering, distributing and selling of dogs for meat while calling for subsidies to help people in the dog meat industry switch jobs.

Following a three-year grace period, violators of the law will face a maximum sentence of two years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($20,583), starting in 2027.

"We will help all dog farms change or close their businesses by 2027," an agriculture ministry official said, vowing to work to make Korea a nation with an advanced animal welfare system.

Yonhap