However, business is not doing well. It’s actually about to be made illegal.
Mr. Joo, 60, tells the BBC, “We’ve been trying to sell our dogs since last summer, but the traders just keep hesitating.” “Not a single one has shown up.”
The sale of dog meat for human consumption was outlawed countrywide by the South Korean government in 2024. Last January, the historic law was passed, giving farmers like Mr. Joo until February 2027 to close their businesses and sell the animals they still have.
However, many argue that authorities still haven’t developed sufficient safeguards for dogs kept in captivity, and that it isn’t enough time to phase out an industry that has supported livelihoods for generations.
