By Jimin Jung and Dogyun Kim Reuters
About 200 South Korean farmers who breed and lift canine for human consumption held a rally on Thursday close to the presidential workplace within the capital Seoul, demanding the federal government scrap a plan to ban the controversial centuries-old observe.
Dozens of farmers, who had tried to drive into the road in entrance of the presidential workplace by truck with canine in cages that they supposed to launch on the scene, had been turned away by the police who inspected the cargo lined with blankets.
The ruling occasion of President Yoon Suk Yeol has launched a invoice to ban the breeding and sale of canine for consumption and supply monetary compensation for these within the trade pressured to shutter their enterprise inside a three-year grace interval.
The time is now to place an finish to the controversy round consuming canine meat, occasion members have mentioned, including there was broad assist from the opposition occasion, which at present controls parliament, and from the general public.
Greater than 6 million South Korean households now personal canine as pets in a rustic of about 51 million individuals, and Yoon and his spouse Kim Keon Hee are homeowners of six canine, together with a retired information canine and a rescue canine.
A Gallup Korea ballot final 12 months confirmed virtually two-thirds of respondents opposed consuming canine meat, with solely 8% saying that they had eaten canine throughout the previous 12 months, down from 27% in 2015.
Ju Yeong-bong, who represents an trade group and led Thursday’s rally, mentioned politicians had no proper to shut down an trade or determine what individuals selected to eat.
“We will’t agree with the concept it’s barbaric, as a result of all international locations which have the custom of animal husbandry have sooner or later eaten canine and there are nonetheless international locations the place it’s performed,” he mentioned.
The farmers had been fully excluded from dialogue on the invoice and proposed monetary compensation was fully insufficient given they’d lose their livelihoods, Ju mentioned.
The farmers scuffled with police who outnumbered them and arrange barricades to cease them from crossing the road to maneuver nearer to the presidential workplace. Three protesters together with Ju had been detained by police in a chaotic scene, the organisers mentioned.
Whereas the observe of consuming canine meat has declined in reputation, the farmers and restaurant homeowners who serve the meat have been combating to maintain it authorized.
The farmers have {accused} First Girl Kim, a vocal critic of canine meat consumption, of exercising what they name improper strain on the federal government and the ruling occasion to herald the ban.
“The First Girl has spoken out about this problem with eager curiosity, and each within the nation and overseas there’s assist and consensus, in addition to from the opposition occasion,” the presidential workplace mentioned.
