Dog meat to stop in South Korea - 17th January 2024

There's a new law in South Korea. From 2027, dog meat won't be on the menu. Dog businesses will have to close.

There are 1,000 dog farms in South Korea. And 1,600 restaurants sell dog meat. But from 2027 this will stop. People mustn't break the law. They might go to prison or pay $23,000.

Animal lovers are very happy. But dog meat farmers and butchers aren't. The government's going to help. It'll give money to farmers and sellers. But many of the workers are old. Changing jobs is hard.

It was difficult for the government to decide about this. Dog meat's a tradition in South Korea. And some people want to choose their own food. They think they should decide for themselves.

Opinions are changing. Dog meat isn't so popular these days. Most people dislike the idea. People often have dogs as pets.

In places like Hong Kong, dog meat isn't available now. It's the same in Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries. South Korea's next on the list.