South Korea Outlaws Dog Meat — What Can We Learn From This?
The implications of South Korea’s new law for vegan advocacy
South Korea has a long history of eating dog meat which goes back centuries. In 2022 it was estimated that there were around 1,100 farms, breeding some 570,000 dogs to supply around 1,600 restaurants. But that is all to change in 2027, when a new law is set to come into force banning the breeding and slaughtering of dogs for human consumption.
Animal activists around the world are jubilant at this fantastic news. But I want to look behind the headlines at the implications of this ban for vegan advocates like myself.
Those of us who campaign for recognition and respect of the rights of all animals, know that there is no fundamental or moral difference between the rights of a dog and the rights of a pig, or a cow, for example. They all feel pain the same way, they all suffer. They all want to live and fear death, just as we do.
Many people argue that we will not see any significant change in society’s exploitation and oppression of animals until and unless we successfully campaign for changes in the law, and that this is where our efforts and attention should be focused. But is this a valid argument?
