
How South Korea's Dog Meat Ban Leaves Farmers And 500,000 Dogs In Limbo
The government claims local authorities will take surrendered dogs into shelters. But rehoming is proving difficult. Farms raised large breeds like Tosa-Inu for meat, dogs often labeled "dangerous" under South Korean law.

Former farmer Yang Jong-tae, 74, who shut down in 2023, says, "When I saw how they handled the animals, like they were handling people, so gently and lovingly, it really moved me. We don't treat them like that. For us, raising dogs was just a way to make a living."
But Yang still questions the ban. "If dog meat is banned because dogs are animals, then why is it okay to eat other animals like cows, pigs or chicken?"
For younger farmers like Chan-woo, the future feels bleak. "All we're hoping for now is that the grace period can be extended so that the process can happen more gradually."