Korean Animal Activists Lead London Protest Against South Korea's Illegal Dog Meat Trade

International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) and animal defenders from throughout the UK will gather at the South Korean Embassy, 60 Buckingham Gate, London on Monday, April 22nd at 12:30 PM, to protest the illegal dog and cat meat trade that flourishes today in South Korea.

More than 2 million dogs and cats are tortured and slaughtered in South Korea every year. Scores of Korean men believe that consuming the flesh of tortured animals will enhance virility, and drinking boiled cat juice is believed by many to cure rheumatism. Prominent scientists have publicly denounced the "benefits" of eating dog and cat meat, and furthermore, dog meat soup and cruelty to animals are illegal under current South Korean law.

IAKA and supporters are pressing for new laws to safeguard dogs and cats from torture and consumption, with a total and complete ban on the sale of dogs and cats for food being the ultimate goal.

South Korea has recently come under fire for failing to enforce its animal protection laws, and pressure is being stepped up in anticipation of the World Cup Soccer championships. In February of this year, the Korean government publicly announced a major crackdown on dog slaughtering in Sungnam City's infamous Moran market. Sungnam City is one of the sites for several World Cup games this year, and the official training camp for the Costa Rica soccer team. The city is first asking the shops for a voluntary discontinuation of all illegal sale and practices. Then from March to June, two hundred government officials will meet and investigate the remaining businesses. If any illegal businesses still have not voluntarily complied by July, they will be prosecuted. To date, however, there has been no change whatsoever in the markets, and dog and cat meat is still sold openly.



Demonstration Information

When: Monday, April 22nd at 12:30 PM

Where: South Korean Embassy, 60 Buckingham Gate, London

Contact Information
Kyenan Kum
IAKA Founder


In the US: (until April 20)
Email: kaps@koreananimals.org
Phone: 510-271-6795

In the UK: (April 21-April 24)
Mobile: 07787 561 227

UK Media Contact:
Denise Potter
Email: IAKAUK@koreananimals.fsnet.co.uk
Phone: 0208-332-7499

IAKA UK Representatives:
Steve and Deb Wilkinson
Midlands Representatives
Email: stevdeb.wilko@virgin.net
Phone: 0178 225 6983

Animal Cruelty in Korea

Every year, 2.6 million dogs and countless cats are slaughtered and consumed in South Korea. Slaughtering methods include hanging, prolonged beatings with pipes and hammers, and electrocution. Often, cats are boiled alive, and dogs are routinely blowtorched to remove their fur and to brown their skin.

The myth is that the more pain suffered by these animals, the more tender and aphrodisiac the meat is. This idea was generated by Korean dog-meat (boshintang) dealers. Dog-meat stew is not a thousand-year-old Korean tradition, as dog-meat dealers claim. The commercial trade of dogs for consumption began in 1980, when a boom in the Korean economy made the once-scarce "livestock" meats suddenly affordable. At the time, the dog-meat trade consisted of only a handful of dealers, who, fearing loss of business, quickly marketed the myth that dog-meat stew is a traditional "cure-all" health food.

In 1980, these same dealers also began the practice of cat consumption in S. Korea. Pets and strays are repeatedly bludgeoned with hammers or placed in sacks, which are then pounded on the ground. Often, while still alive, the cats are thrown into large pots of boiling water and cooked with ginger, dates and chestnuts until liquefied to a brown paste called goyangi soju, or "cat juice," which dealers claim will cure rheumatism. Dr. Kim, Sung Yun, a medical doctor and professor researching rheumatoid arthritis at Hanyang Medical School, said in a Chosunilbo newspaper article that, "cats are absolutely not effective in the treatment of arthritis. It's a myth." However, even research such as this has done little to dispel the myth.

Approximately 30 percent of the dogs consumed each year are stolen companion animals, while the rest are bred by dog "farmers," individuals who raise dogs as a side business. Most of the cats consumed each year are trapped in crude wire cages.

The Korean Government has failed to enforce its own 1984 Ministry of Health law banning dog-meat stew as a "disgusting food," and its Animal Protection Law, enacted in 1991, which bans cruelty to all animals. Designating South Korea as a host of World Cup 2002 sends a clear message that the world accepts illegal industries and animal cruelty. Shocking new undercover video documentation of widespread dog and cat torture in flagrant violation of the laws has incited U.S. humane advocacy organizations to demand an end to not only the torture and slaughter, but also the consumption of companion animals in South Korea.

"This is not an issue of 'cultural differences,'" states Kyenan Kum, founder and director of International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA). "Caring Koreans and most people worldwide know that no animal should be tortured and abused. Yet Korean cat and dog dealers are willfully inflicting maximum pain to dogs and cats for mythical health benefits. The only way to stop the torture of companion animals is to outlaw completely the consumption of dog and cat meat.

"The Korean government recognized the terrible suffering caused by the dog meat trade when it outlawed dog-meat stew in 1984, but this law has never been enforced. Today we need the help of caring people worldwide to stamp out this abuse and the consumption of dogs and cats once and for all."

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Kyenan Kum
International Aid for Korean Animals
Korea Animal Protection Society
P.O. Box 20600, Oakland, 94620-0600, USA
www.koreananimals.org
iaka@koreananimals.org