VIDEO Police probe slaughter of retired racehorses

The video shows men beating horses. Capture from YouTube account of “PETA Asia”

By Dong Sun-hwa

Police are investigating allegations that retired racehorses are being cruelly slaughtered on Jeju Island.

According to Jeju District Prosecutors' Office Thursday, animal activist groups ― the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Voice 4 Animals ― filed a complaint accusing the Jeju National Livestock Cooperative Federation and five unnamed people of violating the animal protection law.

PETA also disclosed a YouTube video allegedly showing how racehorses have been abused and killed during the past 10 months.

Watch the clip: bit.ly/2WgM9au

The video shows workers beating horses to force them into slaughterhouses.

The law bans the slaughter of an animal in front of other animals and prohibits injuring animals without justifiable cause. People who violate the law can be fined 20 million won ($17,000) or jailed for up to two years.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural affairs will conduct its own probe into 149 slaughterhouses in Korea, while the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) says it will introduce a management program for retired racehorses.