South Korea’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday to end the eating and selling of dog meat.
The legislation, which will come into effect after a three years’ grace period, will outlaw the controversial centuries-old practice amid animal welfare concerns.
Activists say most dogs are electrocuted or hanged when slaughtered for meat, though breeders and traders argue there has been progress in making the slaughtering more humane.
Dog meat stew is considered a delicacy among some older South Koreans. However, the majority of people do not eat dog meat, and the practice has been steadily falling out of favour for years.
Breaking the law would be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won (£17,896) in fines.
Proposed by the ruling party, the bill was passed by an overwhelming 208 votes with two abstentions in South Korea’s single-chamber parliament.
Support for the ban has grown under President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is known as an animal lover who has adopted six dogs and eight cats with first lady Kim Keon Hee.
According to government data, South Korea had around 1,600 dog meat restaurants and 1,150 dog farms in 2023 who will be affected by the ban when it comes into force.
“The bill would see an end to the breeding and killing of dogs for human consumption," said Borami Seo of Humane Society International Korea, an animal protection group.
“We have reached a pivotal point to spare millions of dogs from this cruel industry."
In a survey released on Monday by Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, a Seoul-based think tank, more than 94% of respondents said they had not eaten dog meat for the past year and about 93% said they would not do so in the future.
Previous efforts to ban dog meat have failed in the face of industry protests. The bill seeks to provide compensation so that businesses can move out of the trade, although the details of what compensation will be offered have yet to be finalised.
In November, a group of about 200 breeders of dogs for consumption held a rally near the presidential office, demanding the legislation be scrapped.
They argued that the industry should be allowed to decline naturally, as diners shun the meat.
