Owners of dog meat farms slam first lady

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:33

Owners of dog meat farms slam first lady

Posted : 2023-04-21 17:01

Updated : 2023-04-23 17:18

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee pose with puppies at the Samsung Guide Dog School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in this photo taken on Dec. 24 last year. Courtesy of presidential office

By Jun Ji-hye

First lady Kim Keon Hee faces criticism from a group representing dog meat farm owners for her recent remarks calling for an end to the country's contentious culture of eating dogs.

The group claimed Kim, who is neither a president nor a lawmaker, should maintain neutrality as the role of the first lady is supporting the president.

"Siding with animal rights groups, which are interest groups, and calling for banning dog meat consumption is obvious political activity that exceeds her authority," the group said in its statement, Thursday.

The comments came as Kim vowed to work to ban dog meat consumption within the tenure of the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

"I will try to put an end to dog meat consumption before the tenure of this government ends. I think that is my duty," she said during her luncheon with officials from animal rights groups, including Kara, on April 12.

After the remarks were reported through the media, both ruling and opposition parties appeared to support Kim.

Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the ruling People Power Party proposed a bill outlawing the butchery and sale of dog and cat meat on April 14. A day earlier, Rep. Kim Min-seok, the chief policymaker of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, also said his party will push to enact a special law banning dog meat consumption.

The owners said the rival parties as well as the first lady are neglecting people working in the dog meat industry, claiming that their remarks and action are an attempt to woo voters at a time when increasing numbers of people are living with companion animals in the country.

The group said banning dog consumption simply because an increasing number of people hate that culture is illogical.

"By that logic, if an increasing number of people hate Buddhism or Christianity, then the government can remove that religion," the group said. "Different religions coexist in this country. The Constitution also bans majorities from curtailing the liberties of minorities. Talking about social consensus only for dog meat is against the Constitution."

The group said it will hold a press conference in front of the presidential office in Yongsan next Tuesday to criticize the first lady for attempting to "take people's rights to eat away."

The first lady has openly supported a ban on all types of dog meat consumption.

During her interview with a vernacular newspaper in June last year, she said Korea and China are the only countries among big economies where people eat dog meat.

At the time, she said the issue can be solved through policies by, for example, supporting people working in the dog meat industry to change jobs.

President Yoon, who once said eating dogs was a matter of personal choice, later changed his position and pledged to work to ban dog meat consumption during his election campaigning.

While societal attitudes towards animals are shifting in modern Korea and with a high proportion of the population keeping dogs as domestic pets, the country's infamous dog farms and dog meat restaurants are still operating.

jjh@koreatimes.co.kr