Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Civic groups urge Naver to ban online sales of whale meat
Civic groups hold a press conference in front of Naver's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, urging the online platform to ban the sale of whale meat. Courtesy of Korea Federation for Environmental Movements
By Lee Gyu-lee
Civic groups on Tuesday urged tech giant Naver to stop the sale of whale meat on its platform, condemning the company's negligence in the distribution of meat from protected species.
Eight groups, including the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), marine conservation groups Hotpink Dolphins and Sea Shepherd Korea and Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), held a press conference outside the company’s headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
They noted despite all whale species, including minke whales, being prohibited from being intentionally hunted in Korea, whale meat is still being sold on the platform.
Under Korean law, sellers are required to present a whale processing certificate to prove the meat was obtained legally, such as from whales accidentally caught in fishing nets, and not through illegal hunting.
The groups said around 42 whale meat products are listed on the platform, with price comparison and Smart Store services that allow users to directly purchase minke whale meat using Naver Pay.
When the groups approached the sellers to request their certification, three out of seven vendors refused to provide it or said they did not have it, which is a clear violation of the law, the groups emphasized.
“The issue originally began in Japan, where Yahoo Japan was distributing the largest amount of whale meat within Japan. When this issue was raised, we noticed Naver owns about 50 percent of Yahoo Japan's shares, which led to questioning Naver's practices and finding the same issue in its shopping service,” activist Kim Sol from KFEM told The Korea Times.
“The problematic aspect is that in Korea, capturing whales is illegal, yet distribution continues because minke whales are either ‘accidentally’ caught in nets or illegally captured. … Just as the dog meat industry has been suspended and its distribution completely halted, whale meat distribution should be comprehensively banned to ensure proper whale protection if we truly consider whales as protected species.”
The activists said the groups had sent a letter about the issue to Naver on March 12, requesting the company halt the online sale of whale meat.
However, with no response from the company, they were compelled to hold a press conference to call for action.
"With continued sale of minke whales, intentional bycatch and illegal capture are prevalent. The legally confirmed annual bycatch of minke whales is about 50 to 60, but the actual number, including the illegal catch, is estimated to be higher," the activist said.
"Large platforms like Naver must immediately stop distributing whale meat, and furthermore, a protection act to preserve marine life should be enacted to protect all marine mammals, including whales."
Naver declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Korea Times.