Since her late teens, Kim has rescued several stray dogs, and adopted one. Her involvement with animal protection groups began as volunteer work at an animal shelter, and one year later she visited a market where she heard workers swearing at dogs as they dragged them to slaughter. Then she caught a glimpse of a truck carrying more dogs and saw workers kick the crowded cages onto the ground.

More recently she came to the assistance of a neighbor's dog who spends most of her time chained outside the house. Kim became friends with the dog's guardians and politely let them know when the dog looked hungry or thirsty. Eventually, Kim says the family improved the dog's living conditions. Once, on a cold night, she noticed cushions and blankets outside the house and considered it a small step forward.

Kim and other animal advocates are pushing for changes to Korea's animal protection law, established in 1991, under which there have been only two convictions.

The first took place in Chuncheon in November. Jae-bom, a five-month-old puppy, was the victim of repeated beatings by his guardians, and a neighbor who witnessed the cruelty reported it to two animal protection groups, which worked together to bring the abusers to justice.

Park So-yeon, a representative of the Korea Alliance to Prevent Cruelty to Animals (KAPCA) who was involved in the case, said, "One of the reasons that this case marked the first successful enforcement of the animal protection law is that we had a very responsible police investigator. Most of the officials are quite indifferent to animal cruelty, but the police investigator in charge of the case did his best to help the witness. He got the dog examined by vets and convinced the owners to admit their cruelty, even though the vet said the dog looked all right."

Park points to the outcome as evidence that the law is inadequate. Although the abusers were fined 100,000 won, the judge had no authority to remove the dog from their custody. To protect Jae-bom, KAPCA members bought him for 300,000 won. All Korean animal protection groups agree on the need for higher penalties for animal abuse, since the maximum fine is only 200,000 won.

"And I wonder whether we should buy the animal each time it happens," said Park. "Whether the people convicted should profit from their cruelty."

The law prohibits killing animals in ways that are cruel or "provoke disgust," and the infliction of "unnecessary pain or injury," if these actions are committed "without proper, rational reason." However, those who engage in legal activities such as fur farming, hunting and pest control are specifically exempt from prosecution, in a clause many activists would like to see deleted.

One problem, Kim notes, is the absence of investigators specially trained to recognize cruelty and respond to complaints from the public. Animal protection groups in Korea have few resources and rely entirely on volunteers, who must divide their time between rescue work and paid jobs. Creating an inspectorate, she says, would increase the public's confidence in the authorities and show that the government is willing to address cruelty.

Paul Littlefair, East Asia program manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Britain, echoed his Korean colleagues' concerns in an interview with The Korea Herald.

"The current Korean animal protection law is a fairly ineffectual piece of legislation," he said. "There are no clear definitions of cruelty, the penalties are weak, and there is no explicit enforcement mechanism."

While revisions to the law are under consideration, many Korean animal advocates are afraid they will fall short of the improvements needed.

Rep. Ham Seung-huie has promised to increase penalties for animal abuse. Under his proposal, the maximum fine would increase to 2 million won and animal abusers would also be subject to imprisonment for up to a year.

When asked how the revisions would affect the controversial dog meat trade, Ham said in a statement that his goal is not to end the trade but to improve Korea's image abroad by curtailing cruel slaughter practices. So far, his proposal does not address animal advocates' concerns, such as the need for inspectors and the vague wording of the law, which Kim says should lay out prohibited activities in much greater detail and specify the animals it protects. However, Park Chang-kil of Voice for Animals is scheduled to meet with the lawmaker shortly to offer recommendations, which may also include regulations on the breeding and sale of companion animals, or the creation of animal shelters to find new homes for strays.

The Korea Animal Protection Society and International Aid for Korean Animals plan to work with Rep. Chung Hyung-keun on a new bill this summer, for introduction in September when the next session of the National Assembly opens formally. They recommend special protection for dogs and cats, making it illegal to slaughter them for food; the prohibition of animal fighting, which representative Kum Kye-nan says is a growing trend in Korea; and a ban on the sale of stray animals to biomedical research laboratories, a practice expressly permitted under the current law.

Faced with international criticism ahead of the World Cup soccer finals, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry also acknowledges an animal welfare problem. In a statement, the ministry said it had established enforcement squads to monitor conditions until June at certain markets that sell live animals, and uphold existing laws against cruel slaughter. It will not disclose details of its long-term plans until April.

"Many Koreans have pointed out to me that the Korean culture's traditional reverence for nature and respect for life have been eroded as the country has modernized and that the education system has failed to maintain these values," says Paul Littlefair. "I think most Koreans would agree that the country's recent record on animal protection issues does them no credit."

"International image aside, there now appears to be a small but growing humane movement emerging in Korea itself," Littlefair continues. "Young people especially - already sensitive to issues of environmental degradation, the destruction of habitat and exploitation of wildlife - are now showing concern for animal suffering and cruelty in a wider sense. The more progressive politicians and civil servants would do well to watch these developments and consider policies which appeal to this section of the electorate."

(eileencahill@hotmail.com)

By Eileen Cahill Staff reporter

2002.03.15