THE South Korean government has introduced new legislation to make the killing of dogs for meat illegal.
Dog meat has been a controversial feature of South Korean cuisine for years, with about 1 million dogs believed to be eaten annually.
However, consumption has declined in recent years and animal rights activists have been pushing for legislation to be brought in to outlaw the eating of canines.
Today’s ruling from the city court in Bucheon officially stated that meat consumption was not a legal reason to kill dogs.
The case was one brought by the animal rights group Care against a dog farm operator.
The man was convicted of killing animals without proper reasons and violating building and hygiene regulations and fined 3 million won.
The precedent paved the way for the outlawing of dog meat consumption entirely.
Based on recent surveys, there are about 17,000 dog farms in South Korea.
A survey last year found that 70% of South Koreans do not eat dog meat, but only about 40% believe the practice should be banned.
