Current:Home > FinanceSouth Korean farmers rally near presidential office to protest proposed anti-dog meat legislation-InfoLens
South Korean farmers rally near presidential office to protest proposed anti-dog meat legislation
View Date:2024-12-23 14:41:28
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Dozens of South Korean dog farmers scuffled with police during a rally near the presidential office on Thursday to protest a push by authorities to outlaw dog meat consumption.
Earlier this month, government and ruling party officials agreed to introduce legislation by the year’s end that would ban the centuries-old practice. Individual lawmakers have submitted similar anti-dog meat bills in the past, but this would be the first time for the government to back such legislation.
About 200 farmers, restaurant owners and others involved in the dog meat industry gathered in Thursday’s rally. They chanted slogans, sang, raised their fists and took turns making speeches criticizing the government’s move. One protester said he would kill himself if the government and governing party move ahead with the legislation.
“We’ll fight. We’ll fight,” the protesters shouted.
Some farmers brought dogs in cages on their trucks but were prevented from taking them to the protest site. A shoving match between some protesters and police occurred, with some farmers rushing to a street when a truck, apparently carrying dogs, approached.
Police detained three protesters, farmers said. Police said they couldn’t immediately confirm the detentions.
Dog meat consumption is neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea. But there have been calls to prohibit it over worries about South Korea’s international image and a growing public awareness of animal rights. World celebrities including American actress Kim Basinger and French actress Brigitte Bardot have called for a ban.
The bill pushed by the government and governing party would phase out the dog meat industry by 2027. It would provide financial support to farmers for dismantling their facilities and opening new businesses and offer vocational training and other benefits.
“To have a government-backed bill with the political will behind it to see it passed swiftly is a highly significant milestone, a point we have never reached before in this campaign to phase out this abusive industry,” the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International’s Korea office said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press.
The anti-dog meat campaign in South Korea recently gathered new momentum as first lady Kim Keon Hee, a pet lover, repeatedly voiced her support for a ban. During Thursday’s rally, protesters made crude insults of Kim.
Famers are calling for a longer grace period and direct financial compensation for giving up their dogs. They also say their businesses will naturally disappear when older people, their main customers, die.
“Most dog meat industry workers are in their 60s and 70s, which means they are seeking retirement, not new occupations. Since few young Koreans eat dog meat, the practice will fade away in the next 15 to 20 years anyhow,” said Ju Yeongbong, a former secretary general of a dog farmers’ association who attended Thursday’s rally.
About 700,000 to 1 million dogs are slaughtered for consumption each year, a decline from several million 10 to 20 years ago, according to the association. Some activists say the farmers’ estimates are inflated to show the industry is too big to destroy.
___
Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report.
veryGood! (58965)
Related
- Asian sesame salad sold in Wegmans supermarkets recalled over egg allergy warning
- Fans pack college town bars as Kendall Jenner serves drinks at Alabama, Georgia and Florida
- Kick Off Super Bowl 2024 With a Look at the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers' Star-Studded Fans
- Floridians shaken by 4.0 magnitude earthquake about 100 miles off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean
- ONA Community Introduce
- Food Network star Duff Goldman says hand injury is 'pretty bad' after car crash
- 'Karma is the queen on the stage': Japanese fans hold 500 signs for Taylor Swift
- Rare centuries-old gold coin from Netherlands found by metal detectorist in Poland
- What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
- Polyamory has hit reality TV with 'Couple to Throuple.' Expect to challenge your misconceptions.
Ranking
- 2 weeks after Peanut the Squirrel's euthanasia, owner is seeking answers, justice
- Will Lester, longtime AP journalist in South Carolina, Florida and Washington, dies at age 71
- 'Karma is the queen on the stage': Japanese fans hold 500 signs for Taylor Swift
- Elon Musk is synonymous with Tesla. Is that good or bad for shareholders?
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- Takeaways from the special counsel’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents
- Devin Hester makes history as first return specialist selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Maricopa County deputy sheriff to serve as interim sheriff for the rest of 2024
Recommendation
-
About Charles Hanover
-
What if the government abolished your 401(k)? Economists say accounts aren't worth it
-
Why aren't more teams trying to clone 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk? He explains why they can't
-
17-year-old boy shot and killed by police during welfare check in Columbus, Nebraska
-
Brian Austin Green Shares Message to Sharna Burgess Amid Ex Megan Fox's Baby News
-
Man ticketed for shouting expletive at Buffalo officer can sue police, appeals court rules
-
'Days of Our Lives' star Arianne Zucker sues producers over sexual harassment
-
Massive World War II-era bomb discovered by construction workers near Florida airport