South Korea banned dog meat. So what happens to the dogs?

In 2024, the South Korean government implemented a nationwide ban on the sale of dog meat for consumption. But many say that isn't enough time to phase out an industry which has propped up livelihoods for generations – and that authorities still haven't come up with adequate safeguards for farmers or the estimated half a million dogs in captivity. Even those who support the ban, including experts and animal rights advocates, have flagged issues around its enforcement – including the difficulty of rehoming dogs that, having been saved from the kill floor, now face the increasingly likely threat of euthanasia.

Author: Gavin Butler & Hyunjung Kim

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