When South Korea’s National Assembly voted unanimously on January 9, 2024, to end the country’s centuries-old dog meat trade, the law was historic. When full enforcement arrives on February 7, 2027, South Korea will become the latest Asian nation to criminalize the breeding, slaughter, sale, and distribution of dogs for human consumption.
Two years into the transition, the results are surprising. More than four out of five registered dog farms have shut their doors. Yet an estimated 97 percent of the dogs on those closed farms were sold or shipped out, often for slaughter, rather than rescued. The law appears to be working. The dogs, less so.
This guide explains what the South Korea dog meat ban actually does, when each provision takes effect, how the phase-out is unfolding on the ground, and the unresolved paradox at the heart of the legislation: enforcing it may be accelerating the very trade it was designed to end.
Why South Korea Is Banning Dog Meat by 2027
Three forces pushed the legislation across the finish line after decades of failed attempts. Public opinion had shifted decisively: a government poll released before the 2024 vote found that more than 80 percent of South Koreans supported a ban, and only 8 percent said they had eaten dog meat in the previous twelve months, down from 27 percent in 2015. That mirrors a broader pattern across East Asia, where cities such as Shenzhen had already moved to outlaw the consumption of dogs and cats as recently as 2020. Companion-animal ownership had also exploded. By 2024, nearly 5.9 million South Korean households, more than a quarter of all homes, kept a pet.
Then-first lady Kim Keon Hee amplified the campaign publicly. At an August 2023 press conference in central Seoul hosted by a coalition of civic groups, Kim held up a drawing of a Korean Jindo dog on the back of her hand and declared that “illegal dog meat consumption must end.” That kind of high-profile endorsement, combined with pressure from animal welfare organizations such as Humane World for Animals, helped shift the political calculation.
The economic case was also weakening. The dog meat industry in South Korea had shrunk to fewer than 1,600 registered farms and roughly 4,150 restaurants, a fraction of its mid-twentieth-century size. Politicians could finally vote for a ban without materially threatening a major employment sector.
The 2024 Special Act: What the Law Actually Says
The legislation, formally titled the Special Act on the Termination of Breeding, Slaughter, and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption, passed both chambers of the National Assembly on January 9, 2024, with a 208-to-0 vote and two abstentions, according to the Korea Times. It took effect on August 7, 2024, after a seven-month implementation period.
The law’s Article 5, the operative enforcement provision, criminalizes four activities from February 7, 2027 onward:
- Breeding or raising dogs for human consumption
- Slaughtering dogs for human consumption
- Distributing, selling, or trading dog meat
- Serving food prepared from dogs or dog ingredients in restaurants
Penalties are significant. Anyone caught slaughtering dogs for food faces up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million Korean won, roughly $22,800. Breeding, raising, distributing, or selling dogs for human consumption is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of 20 million won. Operating a new dog farm, slaughterhouse, or dog meat restaurant after the law took effect is also prohibited, regardless of the 2027 enforcement deadline.
Between August 7, 2024, and February 7, 2027, the law operates in a three-year grace period during which existing businesses are expected to register with local authorities, submit closure plans, and receive transition subsidies. New operations opened during the grace period remain illegal.
A Brief History of Dog Meat in Korea
Dog meat, called kegogi in everyday Korean and bosintang when served as soup, has roots going back more than a millennium. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), dogs and chickens were the primary edible livestock because cattle were reserved for plowing and pigs were less commonly raised in the southern provinces. The Zhouli, or Rites of Zhou, a foundational Confucian text governing royal protocol, listed dogs alongside cattle, pigs, and sheep as official livestock for royal rites, making dog meat soup a natural summer tradition.
The dish became associated with boknal, the traditional Korean calendar’s three hottest days of midsummer. Diners believed that eating “heat with heat” in the form of a hot, restorative soup would replenish energy and stamina during the hottest stretch of the year. The third and final malbok, which fell on August 14, 2026, carried an added weight: it was the last legal malbok before nationwide enforcement begins in February 2027.
The cultural shift away from dog meat accelerated rapidly after the 1988 Seoul Olympics. International media attention prompted a broader reassessment of how dogs were perceived. As Korea urbanized and apartment living became the norm, dogs transitioned from livestock to family members. Samgyetang, ginseng chicken soup, displaced bosintang as the default summer tonic, and younger generations increasingly viewed dog meat as unappetizing or morally objectionable. By 2024, more than 80 percent of South Koreans supported ending the trade.
What Breed of Dogs Were Raised for Meat?
The vast majority of dogs raised for meat in South Korea are nureongi (누렁이), a yellowish-tan mixed breed purpose-bred over generations for size and temperament. Unlike pedigree breeds raised for companionship, nureongi are typically larger, more muscular animals that can reach 25 to 35 kilograms at maturity. Farmers favored them because weight equaled profit, with animals sold by the kilogram at wholesale markets.
Many farm dogs also have tosa-inu ancestry or other large-breed mixes. This creates an unexpected problem under South Korea’s animal-welfare law, which classifies certain breeds as “dangerous dogs” (yeokgwa, 위험견) requiring special government permits to keep as pets. Tosa-inu, presa canario, rottweiler, and pit bull terrier-type dogs all fall under this category. As a result, rescued farm dogs that look like potential tosa-inu mixes face an uphill path to domestic adoption, even when shelters are willing to accept them.
South Korea has not banned any specific breed outright. The restriction applies only to ownership requirements, registration, and insurance for dogs classified as dangerous. The practical effect, however, is that the very characteristics that made a dog profitable for meat, primarily large size and a powerful build, now count against it when rescue groups try to place it in a Korean home.
The Phase-Out Timeline: 2024 to 2027
South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) designed a six-tier subsidy schedule that pays farmers more for closing earlier and less for waiting until the final deadline. Farms that closed in the first stage (May 2024 to February 2025) qualified for up to 600,000 won, roughly $424, per dog. Farms that wait until the sixth and final stage (September 22, 2026 to February 6, 2027) receive only 225,000 won per dog.
The incentive structure is working, faster than the government itself projected, according to BBC reporting. According to MAFRA data reviewed by the Korea JoongAng Daily, 1,204 of the country’s 1,537 registered farms, about 78 percent, had closed by December 2025. By May 2026, that figure had risen to 1,265 farms, or 82 percent. By July 2026, only an estimated 272 farms remained active.
The dog population on those farms has fallen even faster. When farms registered in May 2024, they collectively held roughly 466,000 dogs. By July 2026, the remaining population was between 20,000 and 30,000 animals, a decline of more than 90 percent in just over two years.
Restaurants, however, are lagging. As of the end of May 2026, only 899 of the 4,154 dog meat restaurants required to close or convert had done so, a compliance rate of just 21.6 percent. Restaurant operators receive capped support of about 2.5 million won, enough for new signage but far less than farms receive per dog.
Why 97% of the Dogs Were Sold, Not Rescued
The closure numbers mask a harder reality. Of roughly 393,857 dogs counted on farms that have already shut down, an estimated 381,465, about 97 percent, were “shipped out,” an official euphemism covering sale for slaughter or distribution to other operators, not rescue. Only 623 dogs were adopted, 9,358 were transferred to other farms, and 498 were turned over to public shelters.
For most dogs on closing farms, the grace period has not brought protection. It has meant one last market transaction before the deadline.
Several structural factors explain why. Under South Korean civil law, dogs are classified as private property, which means the government cannot forcibly seize or purchase animals from a farm owner who wants to keep or sell them. To receive closure subsidies, local officials must confirm zero remaining animals on-site and the complete dismantling of farming facilities, leaving farmers with a perverse incentive to offload their stock quickly rather than wait for rescue organizations to find space.
That pressure has scrambled the market. In mid-2025, panic selling crashed dog-meat prices to 50,000 to 80,000 won per animal. As breeding ground to a near halt nationwide, supply then collapsed. By July 2026, a single dog from a still-operating farm was trading for over 1 million to 1.3 million won, sometimes more than $1,000, because so few dogs remained. Farmers who did not rush to close early ended up making more from selling meat than they would have received in government subsidies.
Animal welfare groups, including Humane World for Animals Korea, have worked to absorb the surplus. Since 2015, the organization has supported the closure of 18 dog farms and rescued roughly 2,800 dogs, mostly by flying animals to partner shelters in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Of those, 90 to 95 percent found permanent homes overseas. But the math is unforgiving. Sheltering a single farm dog for its natural lifespan of 10 years costs roughly 10 million won, and neither the South Korean government nor private charities have the billions of won required to care for tens of thousands of dogs simultaneously.
Several domestic rescue organizations have publicly warned that if unadopted dogs are reclassified as “lost and abandoned animals,” the law permits euthanasia. The government has officially rejected that path, but the financial reality remains unresolved.
The Restaurant Industry and Legal Pushback
Restaurant owners have been quicker to lawyer up than to close. In Daejeon, a coalition of operators running boshintang restaurants has filed administrative lawsuits against local governments seeking additional compensation, arguing that the closure subsidies do not cover lost business value, goodwill, or the cost of rebranding.
Under the government’s phase-out program, restaurants that close entirely can receive up to 4 million won (about $2,900) for store demolition costs, while those switching to other cuisines or meats can receive up to 2.5 million won to replace signs and menus. Plaintiffs contend these amounts are inadequate for businesses that have operated for decades and may not be able to pivot.
Local governments have signaled they will prioritize “soft landing” transitions rather than abrupt shutdowns, but the legal questions remain live. If courts side with the restaurant operators, compensation could escalate significantly and push the costs of the ban higher than the budgeted subsidies.
Where South Korea Stands Globally
South Korea is not the first Asian country to legislate against the dog or cat meat trade. The bans it follows include:
- Taiwan (2017): The first Asian jurisdiction to outlaw the slaughter and sale of dog and cat meat, with fines up to NT$250,000 and the confiscation of offenders’ assets.
- Singapore (2019): Made the slaughter, sale, import, and possession of dog meat illegal nationwide.
- Shenzhen, China (2020): The first mainland Chinese city to ban the consumption of dogs and cats, signaling a broader national shift in classification from livestock to companion animals.
- Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, and several Indian states have introduced varying restrictions, ranging from full bans to partial prohibitions tied to commercial slaughter.
Dog and cat meat is still consumed in parts of mainland China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, northeastern India, and several African countries, according to Humane World for Animals. South Korea’s move is being watched as a precedent for those markets, and as a template for the legal and economic questions any ban raises.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does boshintang taste like?
Boshintang (보신탕), often Anglicized as “bosintang,” is a hearty Korean soup traditionally made with dog meat, vegetables, and aromatics. People who have eaten it describe the flavor as gamey, similar to venison or other strong-flavored red meats, with a rich, fatty broth. It is typically seasoned with garlic, green onions, salt, and perilla or other Asian herbs. The dish is served piping hot and eaten for its supposed stamina-restoring properties during the hottest days of summer.
Are there any dog breeds banned in South Korea?
South Korea has not banned any specific breed outright. Instead, the Dangerous Dogs Act classifies certain breeds as yeokgwa, including tosa-inu, presa canario, rottweiler, and pit bull terrier-types, and requires owners to register the animal, carry liability insurance, muzzle the dog in public, and obtain a special permit to keep one. These restrictions create significant obstacles for rescue groups trying to place large mixed-breed dogs saved from meat farms.
Has Korea shut down the dog meat market?
Not yet. As of July 2026, an estimated 82 percent of South Korea’s 1,537 registered dog meat farms had closed, and the dog population had fallen by more than 90 percent. Restaurants are closing at a slower pace, with about 21.6 percent converted or shuttered by May 2026. Full enforcement, including prison terms and fines, begins on February 7, 2027. By that date, the government expects the legal trade to be functionally extinct, though questions remain about how to handle the small residual population of farm dogs and any black-market activity.
Conclusion
South Korea’s decision to ban dog meat by 2027 marks the end of a centuries-old culinary tradition and the beginning of one of Asia’s most ambitious animal-welfare reforms. The legislative path was clear: a unanimous parliamentary vote, an 80 percent public approval rating, and a three-year transition designed to give farmers, butchers, and restaurant owners time to adapt.
The on-the-ground results, however, are more complicated than the closure statistics suggest. With more than four out of five farms already shuttered and dog numbers down by 90 percent, the phase-out is technically ahead of schedule. Yet a Korea JoongAng Daily analysis of government data found that 97 percent of the dogs on closed farms were sold or shipped out, often into the same supply chains the law was meant to dismantle, showing that ending the trade is not the same as rescuing the animals.
How South Korea handles the residual population of roughly 20,000 to 30,000 farm dogs in the months ahead, and whether the courts side with restaurant owners seeking larger payouts, will shape whether February 7, 2027, becomes a true turning point or a more ambiguous milestone in the long campaign to end Asia’s dog meat industry.
