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       South Korea Bans Dog Meat, a Now-Unpopular Food

       Breeding, killing and selling dogs for their meat will be banned in a country where it has fallen out of favor. Hundreds of thousands of the animal were still being bred for human consumption.

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       Humane Society International workers rescued a dog at a farm in Wonju, South Korea, in 2017. Under the new law, anyone who butchers dogs for human consumption could face three years in prison or a fine of about $23,000. Credit...Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

       By John Yoon

       Reporting from Seoul

       Jan. 9, 2024Updated 3:48 a.m. ET

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       South Korea’s lawmakers on Tuesday outlawed the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption, a centuries-old practice that is unpopular and rare today.

       Dog meat was once more common, and remained so in the decades after the Korean War when the country was destitute and meat was scarce. It is used in a well-known dish that Koreans call “bosintang,” or “soup good for your body.” But the practice became increasingly shunned as incomes, pet ownership and concern for animal welfare rose steadily in the late 20th century.

       Today, many South Koreans, especially younger people, see eating dog meat as appalling. About 93 percent of South Korean adults said they had no intention of consuming dog meat in the future, and 82 percent said they supported a ban, according to a survey conducted last year by Aware, an animal welfare organization in Seoul.

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       John Yoon is a Times reporter based in Seoul who covers breaking and trending news. More about John Yoon

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