▲ A Bosinguk (dog meat soup) restaurant in Seoul
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that as of September 21, following a tally of the implementation status of dog breeding farm closures ahead of the full ban on dog meat consumption slated for February next year, 1,339 out of 1,537 dog breeding farms nationwide—or 87%—have shut down.
This is about 30% higher than the initially planned cumulative closure target of 1,030 farms.
The ministry attributes the accelerated closures to the differential payment of subsidies for early-closing farms and special summer inspections.
The breeding scale has also decreased significantly. When the farms submitted their closure implementation plans in August 2024, they reported raising approximately 468,000 dogs, but the number of dogs currently remaining is estimated at about 7,600.
The ministry plans to conduct special winter inspections targeting all dog breeding farms from next month to December to check whether closed farms are resuming breeding and to verify the closure implementation status of farms that have not yet closed.
In addition, to protect dogs that may be left behind due to owners relinquishing ownership, the ministry will prepare protection and management measures considering factors such as breed, size, age, and socialization.
This is in accordance with the Special Act on Ending Dog Meat Consumption, which completely bans the breeding, raising, slaughtering, distribution, and sale of dogs for consumption starting February 7 next year.
Lee Yong-jik, Director General for Animal Welfare Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "We will manage the closures of the remaining farms to ensure they proceed without a hitch and thoroughly prepare for the issue of remaining dogs that may arise after the end of the practice."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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