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Nearly 80% of dog meat vendors in Korea have closed
Dogs are caged at a dog meat farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, May 8. Korea Times file
By Ko Dong-hwan
333 farms still operate with 37,000 dogs
Nearly 80 percent of dog meat farms in Korea have closed as of this month, revealing the fast pace of shutdowns ahead of the government’s plan to begin penalizing violators in February 2027.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 125 dog meat farms shut down between Aug. 7 and Dec. 21 this year, while the number of dogs bred for consumption declined by 47,544 during the same period.
As a result, 1,204 of the 1,537 registered farms, or 78 percent, have now closed since the Special Act on the Termination of Breeding, Slaughter and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption was enacted in February last year, a month after the National Assembly passed the law.
The figures are higher than the government’s goal for the period, which aimed to close 58 farms and reduce the number of dogs by 26,000.
When the law was introduced, the government provided a three-year grace period to encourage farms to voluntarily shut down. The law took effect in August last year and the government has been offering subsidies and consulting support for those closing their operations or switching to other types of farming.
When the grace period expires in February 2027, those who slaughter dogs for consumption will face up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won ($20,761). Breeding, reproducing, distributing or selling dogs for food will be punishable by up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won.
To encourage voluntary shutdowns, the government has been executing the phase-out initiative in six stages, each with specific goals for the number of farms and dogs to be removed from the industry.
During the first stage, from August 2024 to February this year, 611 farms closed and the number of dogs declined by 152,000. During the second stage, from Feb. 7 to Aug. 6, 468 farms closed and around 194,000 dogs were removed.
As nearly 80 percent of farms have closed before the third stage, the government expects the goal of ending dog breeding for consumption to be achieved ahead of schedule.
The fast progress is attributable to the incentive system, under which the government is subsidizing higher amounts to farms that close earlier. The agriculture ministry offered 600,000 won per dog to those who closed during the first period and lesser amounts to later periods, with the lowest subsidy standing at 225,000 won for farms closing in the final shutdown period.
Gyeonggi Province has recorded the highest number of shutdowns, with 236 farms closing and 104,000 dogs released since the beginning of the phase-out. North Gyeongsang Province claimed the second-highest with 217 farms and 55,000 dogs, followed by North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong provinces with 166 farms and 137 farms, respectively. These regions now have pre-ban business closing rates of between 75 percent to 85 percent.
As of this month, 333 farms with 37,000 dogs still remain in operation nationwide.
The government said the dog meat industry’s phase-out is progressing faster than expected, and added that it will work to prevent farmers from resuming dog meat operations and remove dogs from remaining farms before the ban takes effect.
“It is the government’s goal to make Korea a nation with advanced animal welfare. We urge those who have not closed their businesses to do so,” said the chief of the Animal Welfare and Environment Policy Bureau, which operates under the agriculture ministry.