Actasia Projects


Korean animal protection groups seek help: Please ask Korea’s new President and Seoul City Mayor to stop dogs from being legally listed as food Regardless of a dog's size or breed, it could end up in the dog meat market. Koreans consume 2 million dogs every year. April 18^th, 2008 The suffering of dogs destined for consumption by humans in Korea has been documented many times. They are crammed into tiny cages, deprived of water and proper food, beaten and hanged – sometimes they are even burnt alive. On March 24^th this year, the municipality of Seoul released the Dog Meat Hygiene Management Policy, a document that lists dogs as livestock. It plans to recommend amendments of the national laws on Livestock Products Processing to formally include dogs as livestock. Korean animal protection groups gathered in front of Seoul city hall on March 25^th and 26^th to protest this move. For years Korean groups have worked on public education campaigns to promote the concept that dogs are not food. They are asking for support from other communities, particularly Asian communities, with the hope that countries that have already banned the consumption of dog and cat meat (including Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines) and those where this is not a major issue (including Singapore, Japan and India) could help to persuade the Korean government not to legalise this animal abuse. Read more: Read our update and sign CARE's petition Learn more about the issue and views of Korean and Taiwanese activists. View photos of the conditions faced by dogs at the breeding farms and during slaughter. Warning - these images are very disturbing. View video evidence of the cruelty behind the dog meat industry (link to EAST's website). Read about the legislative timeline in Korea on the issue of dog eating. Frequently asked questions about dog eating in Korea - answered by Korean groups. For the latest updates and action alerts, please visit CARE's new English website at http://care.savedogsinkorea.com-a.googlepages.com/main2. One method of killing dogs is by strangling them to death ACTAsia would like to ask for your help to support the Korean groups, CARE and KAAP, with their campaign to stop dogs from being listed as livestock by the government. How you can help: Please sign CARE's petition - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-dogs-in-korea If you are an animal protection organisation: 1. Please ask your supporters to start a letter writing campaign. 2. Please organise a protest – you could issue a press statement, organise a press conference, protest outside the Korean Embassy, or any other activity that is appropriate in your country If you are an individual advocate: Please send letters to: 1. Mayor of Seoul Mr. Oh Se-hoon Download sample letter: (Word format) ( PDF format) Email: ohsehoon@seoul.go.kr Address: Euljiro1, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-744, Korea Tel +82 2 735 6060 2. Korean President Mr. Lee Myung-bak Download sample letter: (Word format) ( PDF format) Email: webmaster@president.go.kr Address: 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea Tel: +82 2 730 5800 3. The Provincial Governor of Gyeunggi-Do Mr. Kim Moon-soo Email: mailer@gg.go.kr 4. Korean Embassy in your home country If you would like to offer any other direct help on this issue, please contact CARE and KAAP: CARE: Ms. Park So-Yeon, President Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) Email: kyeowoolmom@hanmail.net Website: http://www.fromcare.org KAAP: Mr. Lee Won-bok, President Korea Association for Animal Protection (KAAP) Email: lwb22028@hanmail.net Website: www.kaap.or.kr All photos © KARA/Yellow Dogs, please email KARA for permission to use photos