Chinese laud S. Korea's ban on dog meat, urge Beijing to protect pets

A new ban on dog meat in South Korea has drawn praise from netizens in China, sparking an online debate on whether stricter enforcement is also needed in their country, where millions of dogs are consumed each year.

South Korea’s ban on the breeding, butchery and sale of dogs for their meat became one of the hottest topics on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Jan 9, after the National Assembly in Seoul passed a Bill to outlaw the centuries-old practice that had become controversial amid a growing number of dog owners in the country.

The legislation allows a three-year grace period until 2027, after which the breeding and killing of dogs for their meat will be punishable by a fine of up to 30 million won (S$30,300) or a maximum jail term of three years.

The practice is expected to be fully outlawed in South Korea by 2027. 

A hashtag on the ban drew about 100 million views on Weibo in two days and sparked 7,229 discussion threads.

Many netizens in China said South Koreans were progressive for banning the dog meat trade, although some detractors argued that the new law disrespected citizens’ right to choose, and questioned why dogs needed special protection.

“Even (South Korea) has the awareness to protect its animals better,” said Weibo user Gushige from Shanghai, using a derogatory term Chinese netizens reserved for their East Asian neighbour.

The user also pointed out that China does not have laws preventing the abuse of animals.

Netizens in China and South Korea often clash over the ownership of cultural traditions, but, in this case, Chinese netizens have grudgingly given props for South Korea’s ban on dog meat. 

User fanxingdiandian from eastern Jiangsu province said: “Humans already use dogs as working animals to help guide the blind and for police and search-and-rescue work. They are also our companion animals.