Hundreds of thousands of animals were killed each year in South Korea’s largest dog slaughterhouse. Now the pressure of animal rights activists shows.
Dog meat is considered a delicacy in South Korea. About one million animals are consumed there each year, the red meat is considered a good energy supplier. But tradition is starting to waver – thanks to the efforts of animal welfare activists.
Now, the resistance has even led to the closure of South Korea’s largest dog slaughterhouse. According to the animal rights organization Humane Society International (HIS), the Seongnam City authorities near the capital Seoul have shut down the Taepyeong slaughterhouse.
Activists hope for initial spark
According to the report, several hundred thousand dogs were electrocuted each year in order to process them into meat. The closure celebrates the activists as a „historical event“.
„As South Korea’s largest, most brutal, illegal dog slaughterhouse, Taepyeong is known for supplying large quantities of dog carcasses to the nearby market,“ said CNN Hyunji Kim of the Korean animal rights organization Animal Rights Advocates. „Hopefully, the closure will mean that more illegal slaughterhouses in the country will be closed.“
Majority of South Koreans against dog meat consumption
Five of the six slaughterhouses that make up Taepyeong would soon be leveled. For the sixth, such a permit is still outstanding, so HIS. However, all cages and tools would be destroyed, so that the butchery soon no longer functional.
South Korea is the only Asian country where dogs are still bred for consumption. However, meat consumption has recently declined, especially among younger South Koreans. According to a survey conducted by the US pollster Gallup in June of this year, 70 percent of South Koreans said they would not eat more dog meat in the future.
