A South Korean court has ruled the killing of dogs for meat is illegal, in a landmark decision that animal rights activists yesterday said could pave the way to outlawing eating canines.
The meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, with about 1 million dogs believed to be eaten annually.
However, consumption has declined as South Koreans increasingly embrace the idea of dogs as man’s best friend rather than livestock, with the practice now something of a taboo among the younger generation.
Even so it remains a legal gray area. Despite no specific ban, authorities have invoked hygiene regulations or animal protection laws that ban cruel slaughter methods to crack down on dog farms and restaurants ahead of international events.
Animal rights group Care last year filed complaints against a dog farm operator in Bucheon, accusing him of “killing animals without proper reasons” and violating building and hygiene regulations, and prosecutors later charged him.
He was convicted by the Bucheon City court, which ruled that meat consumption was not a legal reason to kill dogs, and fined 3 million won (US$2,700). He waived his right to appeal.
Care lawyer Kim Kyung-eun welcomed the ruling, which was made in April, but with details only released this week.
“It is very significant in that it is the first court decision that killing dogs for dog meat is illegal itself,” Kim said, adding that the precedent “paved the way for outlawing dog meat consumption entirely.”
Care leader Park So-youn said her group was tracking down dog farms and slaughterhouses across the country with a view to filing similar complaints against them.
A Democratic Party lawmaker this week introduced a bill in parliament that would effectively ban killing dogs for meat.
The measure would limit the slaughter of animals for food to species classed as livestock, which does not include canines.
About 30 activists yesterday rallied outside the National Assembly, urging it to pass the measure.
However, some South Koreans object to what they describe as cultural double standards. Dog is usually eaten in the country as a summertime delicacy, with the greasy red meat believed to increase energy.
Heavy rain and strong winds yesterday disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancelations were still widespread after airport authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease later yesterday, after it paused operations at Wellington, Napier and Palmerston North airports. Online images showed flooded semi-rural neighborhoods, inundated homes, trees fallen on vehicles and collapsed
FRAYED: Strains between the US-European ties have ruptured allies’ trust in Washington, but with time, that could be rebuilt, the Michigan governor said China is providing crucial support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and could end the war with a phone call, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said. “China could call [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow and cut off his dual-purpose technologies that they’re selling,” Whitaker said during a Friday panel at the Munich Security Conference. “China could stop buying Russian oil and gas.” “You know, this war is being completely enabled by China,” the US envoy added. Beijing and Moscow have forged an even tighter partnership since the start of the war, and Russia relies on China for critical parts
In a softly lit Shanghai bar, graduate student Helen Zhao stretched out both wrists to have her pulse taken — the first step to ordering the house special, a bespoke “health” cocktail based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). “TCM bars” have popped up in several cities across China, epitomizing what the country’s stressed-out, time-poor youth refer to as “punk wellness,” or “wrecking yourself while saving yourself.” At Shanghai’s Niang Qing, a TCM doctor in a white coat diagnoses customers’ physical conditions based on the pulse readings, before a mixologist crafts custom drinks incorporating the herbs and roots prescribed for their ailments.
Two sitting Philippine senators have been identified as “coperpetrators” in former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), documents released by prosecutors showed. Philippine senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go are among eight current and former officials named in a document dated Feb. 13 and posted to the court’s Web site. ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs.” “Duterte and his coperpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals in the Philippines
RSS