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South Korean President Advocates for Ban On Eating Dog Meat: 'Hasn't The Time Come?'

President Moon Jae-in
President Moon Jae-in

AP/Shutterstock President Moon Jae-in

South Korean President Moon Jae-in recently expressed support for a ban on the country's traditional practice of eating dog meat.

"Hasn't the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?" the president reportedly said during a meeting with prime minister Kim Boo-kyum on Monday — his spokesperson told several outlets including CNN, The Guardian, and CBS News.

The topic came up while Moon was being briefed on a plan to improve conditions for South Korea's abandoned animals and create a mandatory registration system for dogs, per CNN.

President Moon Jae-in
President Moon Jae-in

YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock President Moon Jae-in

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The South Korean president is an avid dog lover and has several canines, including one rescue named Tory, who was the first rescue dog to live in the Blue House — the official residence of South Korea's president — according to The Guardian.

Moon's movement towards banning the traditional practice of consuming dog meat comes as the country faces growing criticism from animal rights activists and younger citizens. A poll conducted by Humane Society International in 2020 concluded that 84 percent of South Koreans refuse to eat dog meat and 60 percent of the survey takers support a legislative ban.

Roughly 1 million dogs are eaten yearly in South Korea, according to CBS News.

South Korea's animal protection laws prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs and cats, but consumption of the animals is excluded from the criteria.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds the dog named Tory
South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds the dog named Tory

AP/Shutterstock President Moon Jae-in

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Humane Society International (HSI) released a statement on Monday in reaction to Moon's proposal of banning dog meat consumption.

"As a Korean who has visited many dog meat farms and seen the appalling animal suffering firsthand, I welcome these words from President Moon and hope that it signals the beginning of the end for the brutal dog meat industry," HSI campaigner Nara Kim said in the statement.

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Nara continued, "These dogs live a dreadful existence, locked in barren wire cages their whole lives, most in a pitiful state of malnutrition, skin disease, and fear, only to be painfully electrocuted often in front of each other."

"It's like a living nightmare for them, all to produce a meat that most Koreans don't want to eat," she said.