[Courtesy of animal rights activist group Care]
SEOUL -- Despite international criticism and growing public awareness of animal rights at home, many South Koreans do not oppose the distribution of dog meat for table use through legalized channels, according to a poll published on Monday.
The survey of 501 adults, conducted by Realmeter, a Seoul-based pollster, followed a bill introduced by a ruling party lawmaker in parliament last week to amend an animal protection law and ban the act of killing animals at will without proper licensing.
The survey showed that 51.5 percent opposed a ban on dog meat while 39.7 percent supported it. "Public opinion on dog meat is still favorable," Realmeter said on its website.
The bill included a clause on slaughtering animals only to prevent threats to human life. Animal rights groups welcomed it, saying this can block the source of animal abuse. "If this law is passed, we can explicitly ban dog slaughter," they said in a joint statement.
In South Korea, there have been endless campaigns and petitions on the long-standing debate of banning dog meat. President Moon Jae-in has been under pressure from activists to impose a complete ban on butchering dogs for table use.
The debate about eating dog meat in South Korea has stemmed from an old culture and tradition for ages. Despite a steady drop in the population of dog meat eaters, activists demand strict regulations due to improper slaughtering and inhumane living conditions at dog farms.
Dog meat lovers and restaurants insist eating dog is nothing different from eating beef, pork, or horse meat,
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
