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Dog Meat (South Korea — an Evolving Taboo)

Bosintang is in retreat in South Korea — a 2024 law will bring an end to dog farming by 2027.

Category : Table & foodSubcategory : interdits-alimentairesConfidence level : 2/5 (sourced hypothesis)Identifier : e0302

Geography of misunderstanding

Seasonal Tradition (Sambok / Boknal)

The consumption of dog meat is archaeologically documented in Korea from the Neolithic period (6000–2000 BCE). During the Silla (57 BCE–935 CE) and Goryeo (918–1392) dynasties, the practice remained uncommon owing to state Buddhism; it became more firmly established towards the end of the Goryeo period through the nomadic Khitan peoples, and subsequently developed under Joseon (1392–1897). Modern consumption (보신탕, bosintang) is seasonally concentrated during Sambok (삼복) — the three hottest days of the lunar calendar, spaced approximately ten days apart between mid-July and mid-August: Chobok (초복), Jungbok (중복), and Malbok (말복). Bosintang is traditionally consumed to fortify the body against summer heat, although samgyetang (chicken and ginseng soup) and yukgaejang (spiced beef soup) have become the dominant modern alternatives for the same seasonal purpose.

Shifting Perceptions (1990s–2020s)

Under the combined influence of urbanisation, the widespread adoption of companion animals, and sustained international media pressure, perceptions began to shift progressively from the 1990s onwards. Contemporary surveys document this change: according to Gallup Korea (2022), 64% of South Koreans oppose the consumption of dog meat, and only 8% had consumed it in the preceding year. A Nielsen Korea / Humane Society International survey (2023) corroborates this trend: 86% expressed no intention of consuming dog meat, 55.8% considered that society should put an end to the practice, compared with 28.4% who believed it should remain legal. Residual consumption is concentrated predominantly among older men in rural areas.

Special Act 2024 and the Transition to 2027

On 9 January 2024, the South Korean National Assembly adopted the Special Act on the End of Breeding, Slaughtering, and Distribution of Dogs for Food Purposes (Act No. 20195), published in the Gwanbo (official gazette) on 6 February 2024. The Act prohibits the breeding, slaughter, distribution, and sale of dogs for food purposes, with a three-year transitional period (effective enforcement from 2027). Penalties provided include up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of 30 million ₩ (~$22,500 USD) for slaughter, and up to two years' imprisonment or 20 million ₩ (~$15,000 USD) for breeding, distribution, or sale. The government has announced subsidies and retraining programmes for affected farmers, as well as the relocation of an estimated 500,000 dogs from the industry, according to Humane Society International estimates. A regional precedent had already been set: Taiwan had banned the consumption of dog and cat meat in April 2017 through an amendment to its Animal Protection Act (fines of NT$50,000 to NT$2 million), making South Korea the second East Asian country to formalise such a prohibition.

Hospitality and Transgression

Declining bosintang at a meal in South Korea no longer constitutes a social offence: the practice has become culturally marginal among younger, urban generations. Offering dog meat to a Western visitor without prior warning nonetheless remains a social faux pas, as the expectation of accommodation has been widely internalised. For travellers, bosintang remains accessible at a dwindling number of specialist restaurants during the Boknal period, but its commercial visibility is gradually receding as the transition towards 2027 progresses.

International Comparisons

The South Korean transition offers a compelling case study in the rapid evolution of a cultural food practice in response to international animal welfare norms. Analogous cases include: the consumption of horse meat in France, legal since 1866 but in marked decline (5,088 slaughters in 2022 compared with approximately 20,000 in 2013); commercial whaling in Japan, which resumed after the country's withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission in 2019; and recurring debates over seal hunting in the Arctic. Each society negotiates, at its own pace, the tension between culinary sovereignty and globalised ethical pressure.

Historical origins

Dog meat consumption is archaeologically documented from the Neolithic period (6000–2000 BCE); it remained rare during the Silla and Goryeo dynasties owing to state Buddhism, became more established towards the end of the Goryeo period through the Khitan peoples, and subsequently developed under Joseon. The seasonal Sambok tradition centres on the three hottest days of the lunar calendar, spaced approximately ten days apart between mid-July and mid-August: Chobok (초복), Jungbok (중복), and Malbok (말복). Rapid change has been under way since the 1990s: Gallup Korea (2022) found 64% opposed and only 8% having consumed dog meat in the previous year; Nielsen/HSI (2023) found 86% with no intention of consuming it and 55.8% in favour of prohibition. On 9 January 2024, the National Assembly adopted the Special Act on the End of Breeding, Slaughtering, and Distribution of Dogs for Food Purposes (Act No. 20195), published in the Gwanbo on 6 February 2024, with the ban entering into force in 2027 following a three-year transitional period. Penalties: three years' imprisonment and/or a fine of 30 million ₩ (slaughter); two years and/or 20 million ₩ (breeding/sale). An estimated 500,000 dogs require relocation (Humane Society International). Regional precedent: Taiwan, April 2017.

Documented incidents

• 2017 — En avril 2017, Taïwan devient le premier pays d'Asie à interdire formellement la consommation de viande de chien et de chat, par amendement à son Animal Protection Act. Sanctions : amende de NT$ 50 000 à 2 millions pour la vente, l'achat ou la consommation, et jusqu'à 2 ans de prison + amende de NT$ 200 000 à 2 millions pour la cruauté animale intentionnelle. Cet épisode crée un précédent régional fort qui anticipe le débat coréen.
• 2018 — Lors des Jeux olympiques d'hiver de PyeongChang (février 2018), les autorités locales offrent une subvention de 2 millions ₩ (~1 850 USD) aux 12 restaurants spécialisés du district pour retirer le bosintang de leur menu durant les Jeux. Seuls 2 des 12 acceptent ; les autres défient ouvertement la demande, l'un des propriétaires déclarant : « Je vends de la viande de chien depuis des décennies, il m'est vraiment difficile de changer mon menu juste pour accommoder les étrangers ». L'épisode révèle l'écart entre la perception internationale et la résilience de l'offre commerciale dans certains districts ruraux.
• 2024 — Le 9 janvier 2024, l'Assemblée nationale sud-coréenne adopte par un vote quasi-unanime (208 pour, 0 contre, 2 abstentions) le Special Act on the End of Breeding, Slaughtering, and Distribution of Dogs for Food Purposes (Act No. 20195), interdisant l'élevage, l'abattage, la distribution et la vente de chiens à des fins alimentaires. Loi publiée au Gwanbo le 6 février 2024, avec entrée en vigueur effective en 2027 après une transition de 3 ans. La Corée devient ainsi le deuxième pays d'Asie de l'Est à formaliser une telle interdiction (après Taïwan en 2017), et le premier à le faire par voie de loi spéciale dédiée. Subventions et programmes de reconversion prévus pour les éleveurs ; mobilisation de Humane Society International pour la relocation des chiens.

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