Dog Meat Restaurant Owners Take Legal Action Ahead of Ban's Implementation

Ahead of the implementation of the Special Act on the End of Dog Meat Consumption (Dog Meat Consumption Prohibition Act) in February next year, operators in the so-called boshintang (dog meat soup) industry have filed administrative lawsuits against local governments demanding compensation for business losses, it has been confirmed.

According to Daejeon local governments and the legal community on Wednesday, six dog meat restaurant owners in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, filed a lawsuit with the Daejeon District Court on the 24th of last month, asking the court to cancel the Daedeok-gu district head's refusal to pay business loss compensation.

They argue that because the Dog Meat Consumption Prohibition Act effectively strips them of business rights maintained for years or decades, authorities should calculate and pay fair compensation separate from the previously offered closure or career transition support funds.

Such legal moves have appeared not only in Daedeok-gu but also in four out of the five autonomous districts in Daejeon, including Yuseong-gu (four plaintiffs), Dong-gu (three plaintiffs), and Jung-gu (one plaintiff).

According to the court case records search website, there are at least 14 plaintiffs.

These lawsuits have been assigned to the 1st and 2nd Administrative Divisions of the Daejeon District Court.

The core of the Dog Meat Consumption Prohibition Act is to ban breeding, raising, or slaughtering dogs for consumption, as well as distributing and selling food cooked or processed using dogs as ingredients.

Slaughtering dogs for consumption is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won, while breeding, raising, or distributing them carries a penalty of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

The law also mandates that dog farm owners, dog meat slaughterhouse and distribution merchants, and restaurant owners must report their facilities and business details to the heads of local governments, while the state and local governments are required to support the closure or career transition of those who report.

Regarding the implementation of this law, which passed the National Assembly in 2024, authorities provided a three-year grace period until February 2027.

This is to grant the industry sufficient time to prepare for closure or business conversion.

Local governments have also stated their policy to minimize the shock to restaurant owners by focusing on a soft landing and business conversion rather than maintaining an unguided industry.

According to the Basic Plan for Ending Dog Meat Consumption announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in October 2024, the breeding, slaughter, distribution, and sale of dogs for consumption will be banned starting February 2027 under the law, creating an obligation for currently operating businesses to transition or close.

Under the regulations, owners who close their businesses receive up to 4 million won to cover costs such as store demolition and restoration to original condition, while those changing their menu or the type of meat they handle receive up to 2.5 million won.

However, Daejeon district officials noted that some restaurant owners had previously filed civil petitions demanding separate business loss compensation, claiming that current support measures are insufficient.

In response, the responsible departments refused the payments because the special act contains no explicit provisions requiring separate compensation for business losses, prompting these protesting owners to fight back through administrative lawsuits.

An official from a local government in Daejeon stated, "We have provided the maximum administrative assistance within the support criteria. It is difficult to accommodate demands beyond the regulations that require injecting public taxes during the process of implementing a law enacted for public purposes and social consensus."

Furthermore, because the legal basis for licensing dog meat businesses has historically been weak, observers note that it will be difficult to directly apply standard legal principles regarding loss compensation for general business rights infringement.

Similar lawsuits are reportedly taking place not only in Daejeon but also in other regions across the country.

The legal representatives for the plaintiffs in the Daejeon region have been confirmed to be a major law firm with its main office in Seoul.

Each autonomous district in Daejeon stated that they will appoint legal counsel and actively engage in handling the lawsuits.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.