South Korea has made the most significant single animal welfare reform of any country in 2024: banning the dog meat industry — a generational shift reflecting deep change in Korean society's relationship with animals.
South Korea's animal welfare story in 2025 is dominated by one landmark development: the February 2024 passage of the Special Act on the Improvement of Dog Meat Use and Penalties, which phases out the dog meat industry by 2027. This follows decades of advocacy and reflects a profound generational shift in Korean attitudes toward dogs — increasingly viewed as companion animals rather than food. South Korea's broader welfare landscape remains complex: a rapidly growing companion animal sector, intensive livestock production, and welfare enforcement that is improving but uneven.
The Special Act on Dog Meat bans the slaughter, sale, and distribution of dogs for food, with a 3-year transition period allowing current operators to close or transition businesses. Compensation funds support industry workers transitioning to other livelihoods. The Act represents a remarkable policy shift in a country that had approximately 1,500 dog farms and hundreds of restaurants serving dog meat (bosintang) as recently as 2020.
The generational driver is clear in public opinion data: approximately 85% of Koreans under 30 oppose dog consumption, compared to 45% of those over 60. The rapid urbanization of Korean society and the explosion in companion animal ownership — from 5 million pets in 2000 to 15 million in 2025 — created the political conditions for change.
South Korea has one of Asia's fastest-growing companion animal markets — estimated at ₩5 trillion ($3.7 billion) annually and growing 15%/year. Pet culture has transformed: high-end pet boutiques, veterinary specialists, pet hotels, and "pet-friendly" cafés and restaurants are common in Seoul and other cities. The Animal Protection Act has been amended multiple times to address companion animal welfare, including mandatory registration/microchipping, restrictions on pet shops, and increased penalties for cruelty.
South Korea's intensive farm animal sector — 900 million broilers, 75 million laying hens, 11 million pigs annually — operates at welfare standards similar to Asian regional norms. Battery cages are standard for layers; there is no phase-out timeline. Broiler welfare standards require basic minimum space but no enrichment. Gestation stalls are used in pig production. The Animal Protection Act's farm animal provisions are less developed than its companion animal sections, reflecting the political economy of the agriculture lobby.
South Korea's wildlife welfare challenges include: illegal wildlife trade (particularly bear bile, despite domestic farming), human-wildlife conflict with wild boar and deer, and management of migratory bird species. The country is a key stopover point for East Asian migratory birds, and wetland habitat protection intersects with welfare for millions of birds annually.
South Korea's advocacy sector is dynamic and effective. KAWA (Korean Animal Welfare Association), Animal Freedom Corps, and HSI Korea have achieved the dog meat ban through sustained campaign work. Social media welfare campaigns reach massive Korean audiences. Academic welfare research is growing at Seoul National University and other institutions.
South Korea's welfare trajectory is strongly positive. The dog meat ban is a historic achievement. The companion animal sector's growth creates growing consumer welfare consciousness. The next frontiers are farm animal welfare reform — extending the protection revolution from companion animals to the 900+ million farmed animals — and strengthening wildlife protections.