SEOUL—Korea’s first-ever public forum to discuss replacing animal use in science will be hosted in Seoul at the National Assembly on May 30. Organized by Humane Society International and Korean lawyers’ group People for Non-Human Rights, the forum is co-hosted by members of National Assembly In-soon Nam, Kyungmi Park, Wanju Park, Seong-gon Wi, Sangmin Lee and the Assembly’s 4th Industrial Revolution Forum.
Newly proposed legislation prepared by HSI and PNR focuses on establishing an inter-ministerial entity to promote non-animal approaches in toxicological and biomedical fields. Currently, the support of alternative research is limited by the Korea Center for Validation of Alternative Methods (KoCVAM), while the majority of animal research is funded by other ministries across multiple sectors. While these ministries support small-scale research projects on testing alternatives, there is no platform for exchanging research information or for providing major funding for programs that promote non-animal approaches. The forum will discuss collaborative support for adopting 21st-century approaches in scientific research and development without animal suffering.
Speakers include Taesung Kim (KoCVAM), Warren Casey (NIH/NIEHS), Troy Seidel (HSI), Dan Dongeun Huh (University of Pennsylvania). Panelists include officials from the Ministries of Science, Industry, Health and Welfare, Food and Drug Safety, and Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
HSI Senior Policy Manager Borami Seo said, “Most of the ministries support research and development involving animal testing. As the use of lab animals increases every year, authorities are not taking any actions to move away from outdated animal testing and to support non-animal approaches that are better predictors for human health. It’s time for these ministries and other stakeholders to come together to find a way to encourage scientific and ethically responsible human-relevant approaches.”
PNR co-founder, Coochwa Suh said, “Existing legislation is very limited in its ability to reduce animal use and to promote proactive support to develop alternatives to animal testing. Our proposed legislation will provide a platform for collaboration on better science for both humans and animals.”
The forum will be held at 9.30am on May 30th at the National Assembly. All interested parties are welcome to participate and share opinions for discussion. For media inquiries and for information about attending the forum, contact Borami Seo at bseo@hsi.org.
Since 2015, we’ve permanently shut down multiple dog meat farms in South Korea and rescued more than 2,700 dogs flown to the USA, UK, Canada and the Netherlands for adoption.
The farm closures are a key part of our broader strategy to demonstrate to the South Korean government a working model for a state-sponsored, nationwide closure of farms. We have been working directly with farmers who have expressed a desire to end their involvement in the industry, identifying ways to shut down the farms and transition to humane livelihoods, such as sustainable crop-growing businesses.
At our emergency shelter in Montreal, volunteers help us rehabilitate rescued animals, clean their cages on a daily basis and socialize them so they can be ready for placement through our partners. Give hands-on care.
How to adopt
The rescued dogs are transported to our Shelter and Rescue Partners, which then facilitate adoptions. Please view the list of Shelter and Rescue Partners here. We will continue to update this list as more Shelter and Rescue Partners are confirmed. Those interested in adoption can contact these organizations directly to find out how to meet the dogs and apply to adopt.
Learn More and Help
HSI is fighting to end the dog meat trade across Asia. Learn more about our efforts and what you can do to help stop this cruelty. Our campaignTake actionGive now
Humane Society International
Frank Loftus/The HSUS
Update: On January 9, 2024, South Korea’s National Assembly voted through a ban on the dog meat industry, making the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027.
The dog meat industry in South Korea
In South Korea, dogs are intensively farmed for human consumption, often kept in appalling conditions. They are only provided with minimal food and water, housed outdoors in small cages without protection from the scorching summers or freezing winters. Many dogs suffer from disease and malnutrition, enduring daily neglect. The methods used to kill them are exceptionally cruel, with electrocution being the most common practice.
Jean Chung
However, the majority of South Koreans do not regularly eat dog meat. It is primarily consumed by older men, who hold the mistaken belief that it offers health benefits. Dog meat is traditionally eaten as a soup called boshintang, which some believe invigorates the blood and combats lethargy, or as gaesoju, a tonic sold in traditional medicine shops. Consumption of dog meat is most common during the summer months, especially during Bok Nal, the three hottest days between July and August, when 70 to 80 percent of dog meat is eaten.
Jean Chung
Models for Change: Closing dog meat farms
HSI works collaboratively with dog meat farmers who wish to leave the industry but lack the resources to do so. We sign legally binding contracts with farmers, committing them to permanently close their operations. The dogs are voluntarily handed over to HSI. HSI also supports the farmers in transitioning to more humane and profitable businesses, such as medicinal herb or fruit and vegetable farming. This cooperative approach has helped HSI demonstrate to the South Korean government that the dog meat industry can be phased out with farmer participation rather than opposition.
Since 2015, HSI has worked directly in South Korea to shut down 18 dog meat farms and rescue more than 2,500 dogs who have found loving homes in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. A small number have found homes in South Korea.
These closures are a vital part of HSI’s broader strategy, which ultimately led to legislative action being taken aimed at phasing out dog meat farming in South Korea by 2027.
Jean Chung
Our broader campaign
HSI/Korea works on the ground with local organizations and activists to create culturally sensitive solutions that will change public perceptions. Many people in South Korea love and keep pet dogs. However, there is a misconception held by some that “meat dogs” are different from “pet dogs.” We are slowly changing this perspective by showcasing countless adoptions of former “meat dogs” into loving families. Our campaign shows the public that all dogs suffer in the same ways and are all deserving of love. Another goal of our campaign is to encourage pet adoption. At present, there is insufficient widespread acceptance of dog adoption and shelters in South Korea are overcrowded.
Michael Bernard/HSI
Progress
After almost a decade of campaigning by HSI/Korea and local groups, on January 9, 2024, South Korea’s National Assembly passed legislation banning the dog meat industry. This law, set to take full effect in 2027, makes the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption illegal. During the phase-out period leading up to 2027, HSI/South Korea will continue its work on the dog meat trade focusing its efforts on increasing public support for the ban, advising the government on dog welfare in relation to the dogs still on the farms, and conducting dog rescues to help highlight the ongoing plight of animals still trapped in this cruel industry.
Majority of pups to find loving homes in Canada
Humane Society International / Canada
MONTREAL – Humane Society International/Canada is shining a global spotlight on the connection between South Korea’s cruel puppy mill trade and the dog meat industry by helping to rescue 200 dogs and puppies from a horrendous dog meat farm. Approximately 160 dogs are bound for Canada where they will be temporarily sheltered in Cambridge, Ontario, with some destined for Montreal where they will be rehabilitated at HSI/Canada’s emergency shelter.
This is HSI’s 14th dog meat farm closure in South Korea. The facility doubled as a puppy mill, with the dogs being sold as pets or for slaughter depending on where the greatest profits could be found. As a result, many of the dogs are small breeds such as Chihuahuas, corgis, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzus and French bulldogs.
Ewa Demianowicz, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada, said: “These dogs have been surviving in appalling conditions, in barren, filthy cages, with inadequate food and water and almost no veterinary care or human contact. Sadly, it is likely that many never left the cramped cages they have been confined in. It is heartbreaking to imagine how much they have suffered in their lives. Our team is eager to see these wonderful dogs leave this horrible place and arrive in Canada to get the love and care that they need.
HSI works with farmers who want to leave the dog meat trade by transitioning them to more humane industries, rescuing the dogs and closing the facilities. In turn, the owners sign contracts stating they will not return to the dog meat trade. The owner of the facility is eager to leave his business as his family disapproves and it is becoming less profitable.
Dog meat consumption is declining rapidly in South Korea, particularly among younger generations, with a survey by Gallup Korea in June 2018 showing that 70 percent of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future. A series of recent moves by authorities to curb the dog meat trade reflects how Korean society is increasingly ill at ease with the industry. In November 2018, in Seongnam City, HSI/Canada participated in shutting down Taepyeong, the largest dog slaughterhouse in the country. As political and public momentum to end the dog meat trade grows within South Korea, HSI hopes its program will demonstrate a phase-out model that can one day be adopted nationwide with state support.
Facts:
More than 2.5 million dogs a year are reared on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea.
Most people in South Korea don’t regularly eat dog, but it remains popular during the Bok days of summer in July and August, when it is eaten as a soup called bosintang.
Dogs are mainly killed by electrocution, taking up to five minutes to die. Hanging is also practiced.
The dog meat industry is in legal limbo in South Korea, neither legal nor illegal. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act are routinely breached, such as the ban on killing animals in a brutal way including hanging by the neck, and on killing them in public areas or in front of other animals of the same species.
Download b-roll video and photos of the rescue by clicking here.
Media Contact: Christopher Paré, Director of Communications – Office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643 / email: cpare@hsi.org
Humane Society International
Washington D.C. – The latest rescue mission by animal charity Humane Society International is shining a horrifying spotlight on the long-suspected connection between South Korea’s puppy pet trade and the dog meat industry. In a country where dog meat traders go to some lengths to persuade increasingly reluctant consumers that dogs bred for meat are somehow different from their beloved pet dogs at home, HSI’s rescue of nearly 200 Chihuahuas, corgis, huskies, jindos, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzus, and French bulldogs from a squalid breeding facility in Hongseong that housed pups under heat lamps in disused tyres, will create shock waves.
Although HSI has found all sizes and breeds of dogs at its previous thirteen dog meat farm closures, this is the first time the charity has discovered a facility where puppies being born for the pet trade were being bred alongside others destined to be electrocuted and butchered for meat to supply local restaurants. Any pups unable to be sold as pets could also end up at the slaughterhouse.
Sixty-year-old Farmer Lee who ran the farm for eight years is eager to leave his dog breeding days behind him. His business is increasingly unprofitable as fewer people in South Korea wish to eat dogs, and selling pups at pet auctions has become competitive; his own family strongly opposes his profession. Mr Lee says he feels ashamed to be a dog farmer, but had no way out until he was introduced to HSI’s dog farm closure scheme by a former farmer with whom HSI had worked. Once HSI closes his farm and removes the dogs for rehoming, Mr Lee hopes to become a security guard with the help of financing provided by HSI for him to take a computer literacy training course.
Farmer Lee said: “From the very beginning, my entire family has been against my dog farming. All my daughters and my wife want me to close it, and they have never wanted to visit the farm. I feel very ashamed to be a dog meat farmer and a puppy mill farmer so I barely tell anyone what I’m doing. My business is also making no money now and it’s too hard to farm the dogs as I have back pain. Also, I’ve had a hard time with my neighbor complaining about the barking which meant I had to move my farm. I spend more money on this farm than I make from it. I think dog meat trade will die soon. I feel like it’s already ending.”
HSI works in partnership with dog farmers to rescue their dogs and transition their businesses to alternative, humane and more profitable enterprises such as crop growing or service trades. Following the closure of this farm, the cages will be demolished and no animals will suffer again on this property. A 20-year contract has been signed by the farmer that ensures he will stay out of the dog meat and any other animal related industry. HSI follows up regularly to ensure compliance among all past farmers. As political and public momentum to end the dog meat trade grows within South Korea, HSI hopes its program will demonstrate a phase-out model that can one day be adopted nationwide with state support.
Nara Kim, HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaigner says: “The lines between puppy mills and dog meat farms are routinely blurred throughout South Korea, and with our latest dog farm closure we are exposing the shocking reality of that. These dogs are suffering at the hands of two abusive industries, their ultimate fate depending on whether they will sell for more money as a pet or for meat. They all start life in this depressing, squalid place, with the lucky few ending up being a loved companion whilst their cage mates are served at a restaurant or enter a chain of auctions where they are sold on to the next farmer to produce litter after litter of puppies. Korean consumers will be shocked to see that the dog meat they buy in restaurants or from markets could come from the very same dogs they see in the pet shop window. No matter where the dogs go, the conditions at this farm are horrifying. The emaciated dogs have matted fur and untreated wounds. We found them cowering in rusty cages as they endure the bitter cold of the Korean winter. It is an immense relief to be able to rescue them and fly them to North America where we can work with partner organizations and begin their search for adoptive families. For them the nightmare is over, and we hope that by exposing their suffering we can hasten the end of the entire industry for good.”
In addition to the nearly 200 dogs, HSI/Korea is also rescuing three pigs who live on Mr Lee’s farm. Named by HSI, Mable, Martha and Maggie are mini-pigs originally bred for the pet trade, but at 50 kg in weight and growing, they were highly unlikely to find happy homes, and faced an uncertain future. As HSI’s legal contract with dog farmers obliges them to transition to strictly animal-friendly livelihoods, the pigs will shortly be starting a new life being cared for at a sanctuary being established with HSI’s partner group KARA.
Dog meat consumption is declining rapidly in South Korea, particularly among younger generations, with a survey by Gallup Korea in June 2018 showing that 70 percent of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future. A series of recent moves by authorities to curb the dog meat trade reflects how Korean society is increasingly ill at ease with the industry. In November last year, HSI/Korea assisted Seongnam City Council in shutting down Taepyeong, the largest dog slaughterhouse in the country, which is to be replaced with a community park.
Facts:
More than 2.5 million dogs a year are reared on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea.
Most people in South Korea don’t regularly eat dog, but it remains popular during the Bok days of summer in July and August, when it is eaten as a soup called bosintang.
Dogs are mainly killed by electrocution, taking up to five minutes to die. Hanging is also practiced.
The dog meat industry is in legal limbo in South Korea, neither legal nor illegal. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act are routinely breached, such as the ban on killing animals in a brutal way including hanging by the neck, and on killing them in public areas or in front of other animals of the same species.
At each dog meat farm closure, HSI has a veterinarian test for the presence of the H3N2, or dog flu, virus at the time the dogs receive their rabies, DHPP, and corona virus vaccines. HSI also vaccinates the dogs for distemper, parvo and coronavirus. HSI then quarantines the dogs on the farm or at a temporary shelter with no dogs permitted in or out for at least 30 days prior to transport overseas.
Download b-roll video and photos of the rescue here.
ENDS
Media contact:
United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423
Seoul—Global animal welfare leader Humane Society International has once again collaborated with South Korean National Assembly member Jeong Ae Han to reverse the country’s increasing use of animals in laboratories through legislative reform, this time by amending the Korean Chemical Consumer Products and Biocides Safety Act to require the use of recognized cellular, computational and other alternatives to vertebrate animal testing whenever possible (bill no. 2018185).
The biocides law includes management of products that may potentially expose people and/or the environment to chemical substances, such as cleaning agents and detergents. Because biocides are designed to be toxic to some organisms, they are subject to extensive pre-market testing requirements, which can kill thousands of rodents, rabbits, fish, birds and other animals for each product approved for market.
Korea’s two major chemical laws, Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (K-REACH) and the Biocides Act came into effect in 2015 and 2019 respectively to strengthen the management of chemicals. However, there has been a growing concern that these laws are driving the construction of new animal testing facilities in Korea, contributing to the country’s soaring number of lab animals. As a first step toward addressing this problem, HSI collaborated with Assembly Member Han to advance a bill amending K-REACH, which was introduced and passed the National Assembly in 2018. Dr. Han’s new bill proposes nearly identical changes to Korea’s biocides law to protect animals.
A 2018 national public opinion poll by Realmeter on behalf of HSI revealed that 85 percent of Koreans would like to see their tax dollars spent on alternatives to replace animal testing. Another 85 percent of respondents support increased government funding to replace animal testing, and 88 percent support legislative action to require companies and scientists to use non-animal alternatives in testing.
Borami Seo, HSI/Korea acting executive director and senior policy manager, urged the passage of the amendment, saying, “Thousands of animals are dying because of K-REACH and Biocides Act. Unless the government and industry proactively develop alternatives, it is only a matter of time before Korea becomes a massacre site for lab animals. In addition, support for developing human-relevant testing methods to replace animal use is necessary to improve human safety and risk assessment.”
South Korea is the only known country in the world where dogs are intensively farmed for human consumption. Over 500,000 dogs are confined in thousands of dog meat farms across the country, exposed to the elements in small, barren, filthy cages, with minimal food and water. Many suffer from disease and malnutrition, and all endure severe daily neglect. The methods used to kill these dogs are brutal, with electrocution being the most common. They are slaughtered in full view of other dogs, making their final moments both painful and terrifying.
HSI’s goal has been to secure a ban on the dog meat industry. Our efforts to close dog meat farms have been a key part of a successful strategy to create the political and societal momentum necessary to pass a legislative ban. This culminated in the South Korea National Assembly’s decision in January 2024 to ban the industry. A crucial factor in building political support has been demonstrating that the dog meat industry can be phased out in cooperation with, rather than conflict with, farmers. Since 2015, HSI/Korea has worked with dog meat farmers who are eager to leave the industry, helping them shut down their operations and transition to humane livelihoods with the dogs voluntarily handed over to HSI for adoption.
While some of the dogs we rescue find loving homes in South Korea, many are flown to other countries for adoption due to the low adoption culture in this country, where people generally prefer to buy small pedigree dogs. There is also a misconception among some that “meat dogs” are different from “pet dogs.” We are working to change this perception through public education and sharing adoption stories that clearly show there is no difference between pet dogs and dog meat dogs with the aim of increasing shelter adoption in South Korea.
Rescues
Farm closure 1: January 2015 was HSI’s first farm closure where 23 dogs were rescued, the farm closed and HSI supported the farmer switching to blueberry farming. All 23 dogs were flown to the United States, divided among five Washington D.C. area shelters, and have been adopted into loving homes as family pets. Many of them act as ambassadors for our campaign.
Farm closure 2: took place in March 2015 in Hongseong, this time rescuing 60 dogs—a mixture of breeds including beagles, poodles, Korean Jindos and large Tosas. Once again, the farmer ended dog meat farming for good. Tae Hyung Lee had bred dogs for meat for 20 years; facing criticism from family members for his participation in this cruel trade, he was eager to work with HSI to close his farm and start a new business. All but two of the 60 dogs now live in the United States, in loving, caring environments, with two (a mother and pup poodle) happily adopted in South Korea.
Farm closure three September 2015 was our largest yet, rescuing all 123 dogs from a farm in Chungcheongnam-do. All 123 dogs—a mixture of breeds ranging from the large mastiffs most often considered as “meat dogs” in South Korea, to Jindo mixes, Spaniel mixes and Chihuahuas–were transported to shelters in California, Oregon and Washington State in the United States.
Farm closure four In December 2015, HSI rescued 27 dogs and puppies from a small “starter” dog meat farm in South Korea. The dogs were flown to the United States and divided among five area shelters for care and adoption.
Farm closure five: This was a rescue conducted in two parts, in total rescuing 267 dogs. Part one took place in February 2016, rescuing 50 dogs from a dog meat farm in Wonju; part two took place in April 2016, rescuing the remaining 217 dogs. The dogs from this farm are a mixture of breeds including Husky, Labrador, Golden Retriever, Mastiff and Jindo mixes.
Chicken Farm Dog Rescue: In July 2016, Humane Society International worked with Free Korean Dogs to assist a local activist called Jinoak in South Korea with re-homing dogs who had been rescued from a dog meat farm. Jinoak had discovered the dog meat farm containing 51 dogs, bought them from the farmer, and built a shelter to house the dogs. With assistance from Free Korean Dogs, Jinoak placed some of the dogs for adoption, and HSI stepped in to help re-home the remaining dogs. One of HSI’s Shelter and Rescue Partners in Helena, Montana, in the United States—Lewis and Clark Humane Society—agreed to take the dogs. One dog found an adopter online and was flown directly to Toronto to his new home.
Jeonju Farm Dog Rescue: In September 2016, HSI worked again with Free Korean Dogs to rescue 31 dogs from a dog meat farm after Korean authorities ordered the farm to shut down for operating illegally without a license. HSI assisted with re-homing five of the dogs.
Farm closure six: In January 2017, HSI closed a farm in Wonju and rescued all 219 dogs, flown to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom for adoption. The farmer, a mother with a teenage daughter, was keen to leave the trade and move to the city to start a better life for herself and her child.
Farm closure seven: In March 2017, HSI closed down a farm in Goyang and rescued all 67 dogs, flown to the United States for adoption. The elderly farmer and his wife were keen to retire due to age, ill health and their increasing unease at breeding dogs for eating—in fact the farmer had stopped selling his dogs for slaughter and stopped eating dog himself.
Farm closure eight: In June 2017, 16 dogs were rescued by HSI from a small backyard breeding operation in Seongnam (total includes two puppies born to one of the mama dogs shortly after we rescued her). The owner bred the dogs to sell to a nearby dog meat market. All the dogs were transported to the United States for adoption.
Farm closure nine: In July 2017, HSI closed a dog farm in Yesan and rescued all 149 dogs from the property, including 14 newborn pups. The dogs were flown to the United States to find homes.
Gongju city farm rescue: In October 2017, HSI/Korea assisted Korean animal partners KAWA in rescuing 23 dogs, mainly Tosas, from a farm in Gongju city.
Farm closure 10: In November/December 2017, HSI closed a dog meat farm in Namyangju rescuing more than 170 dogs, who were flown to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to find new homes.
Farm closure 11: In March 2018, HSI closed a small dog meat farm in Gyeonggi-do province, with 105 dogs and puppies transported to Canada.
Farm closure 12: In June 2018, HSI reached an agreement with a farmer in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do to remove the last 50 dogs from his dog meat farm before he shut it down to expand his more profitable water parsley business. We flew the dogs to Canada to start their new lives.
Farm closure 13: In October 2018, we worked with Farmer Lee in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to shut down his dog meat farm after 14 years, rescuing 200 dogs and flying them to Shelter and Rescue Partners in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Lee plans to expand his medicinal herb farm instead.
Farm closure 14: In February 2019, HSI closed a dog farm in Hongcheon with nearly 200 dogs, including a combined puppy mill operation.
Gupo dog meat market rescue: In July 2019, HSI/Korea worked with Korean partners KAWA, KARA and Busan Korean Alliance for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and alongside local authorities to rescue 85 dogs from Gupo dog meat market in Busan upon its closure.
Farm closure 15: In September 2019, HSI closed down a dog farm in Gyeonggi-do with more than 90 dogs and puppies.
Farm closure 16: In May 2020, HSI closed down a dog farm in Hongseong-gun, rescuing more than 70 dogs and puppies.
Farm closure 17: In October 2020, HSI shut a dog meat farm in Haemi and saved 170+ dogs from the dog meat trade.
Paju rescue: In October 2020, HSI/Korea assisted local groups with the rescue of 14 Jindo dogs from a small farm which the farmer had agreed to close.
Gimpo rescue: In December 2020, HSI/Korea assisted Korean partners LIFE and regional officials in rescuing more than 100 poodles, Jindos, Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, Spitz, Schnauzers and more caged in deplorable conditions on a junkyard farm where they had been bred and sold for both the pet trade and the dog meat trade.
Yongin rescue: In April 2021, HSI/Korea joined with Korean animal protection groups LIFE, KoreanK9Rescue and Yongin Animal Care Association to save 50 dogs from being euthanized on a dog meat farm in Yongin city after the facility was closed down by the authorities.
Jindo Island farm closure: In August 2021, HSI/Korea assisted our Korean partners LIFE to rescue 65 Jindo dogs and puppies from a farm on Jindo Island. The farm was being investigated and shut down by local authorities for having breached the Animal Protection Act due to dogs being killed in front of each other.
Ansan rescue: In July 2022, HSI/Korea assisted Korean K9 Rescue in removing 21 dogs left behind when Ansan city authorities closed an illegal dog meat farm in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Officials had already removed 38 dogs to their shelter for rehoming, but left 21 behind with a deadline for removal or they would be at risk of being euthanized or sold to a slaughterhouse. The farmer had been breeding dogs for human consumption at the site for six years.
Farm closure 18: In March 2023, HSI/Korea closed down a farm in Asan-si, Chungcheong province and rescued 200 dogs and puppies on the property. The farmer, Mr. Yang, planned to retire and grow vegetables to sell locally.
