South Korea

Summary: Article 1 of this Act states that, "The purpose of this Act is to contribute to the cultivation of aesthetic sentiments, such as the respect for life, etc., through protecting the life and safety of animals by prescribing matters necessary for proper pro- tection and administration of animals such as the prevention of cruelty to animals, etc."

Summary: This article explores the dog meat debate in Korea from a socio-legal perspective. It first examines the legal status of dogs and dog meat, and the legal protection for dogs under the old and new legislative frameworks. It then discusses socio-legal challenges to banning dog meat in the Korean context, employing examples of both legal approaches taken by other countries and the politics of dog meat in Korea, specifically. The article argues that the controversy over dog meat must be reframed and dog meat be socially redefined in order to protect dogs, which are currently caught in the conflict over their socio-legal status as companion and livestock animals.