Based on the sources provided, here is a reproduction of the article "Fate of half million dogs unclear as dog meat ban nears" by Ko Dong-hwan, as published in The Korea Times on January 22, 2026.
Fate of half million dogs unclear as dog meat ban nears
Welfare remains loophole despite closing farms By Ko Dong-hwan
INCHEON — A declining number of dog meat farms in Korea, driven by government efforts to root out the centuries-old practice of dog meat consumption, has raised questions about what will happen to the dogs currently in the system between now and when the ban takes effect in February 2027.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that at least 468,000 dogs are currently kept on farms in cages nationwide, or at some 5,900 related businesses, including slaughterhouses, distributors, and restaurants. Following the ban, there are few clear plans about how the dogs will be cared for, raising the possibility of some being left to fend for themselves in the wild. State-run canine shelters, often operated by local governments, are already at full capacity, according to Humane World for Animals Korea, a non-governmental organization dedicated to animal welfare. They say the country is far from prepared to provide a safe new life for the massive number of dogs expected to be freed.
“The meat farm owners, facing the government ban, are willing to give up their dogs and want to be done with them. At the same time, local governments cannot take in these animals due to a shortage of space at their shelters. Facilities nationwide are literally at full capacity right now,” said Lee Sang-kyung, a campaign team leader for Humane World for Animals Korea, speaking from the group’s Seoul office in Mapo District on Tuesday. The agency is a regional branch of an international organization headquartered in Washington.
According to Lee, the government is currently prioritizing the eradication of the dog meat industry and supporting business operators in transitioning to other ventures, while neglecting the welfare of the caged dogs. Lee said that eliminating the dog meat trade was a commendable achievement, but emphasized that equal attention must be given to ensuring the well-being of the dogs that remain in captivity.
“The ban’s ultimate goal is to safeguard the welfare of the dogs. But the government has not issued any guidelines to ensure this. They have simply notified meat farm owners to shut down their businesses by the deadline and told them to ‘process’ their dogs during the grace period before the ban. In practice, the farmers’ methods of ‘processing’ their dogs are apparently lethal, and their ways of killing are far from humane,” Lee said.
“The government and private animal advocacy groups must now begin discussing ways to care for the dogs once they are freed,” Lee said. He believes that rescuing caged dogs from farms that cease operations should occur simultaneously with the government’s dog meat eradication plan.
“The declining number of dog meat farms is certainly a notable key performance indicator (KPI) for the government. On the other hand, I have witnessed firsthand the lack of government welfare measures for the dogs. Public-private collaboration is urgently needed on this issue,” Lee said.
Lee and two other members of Humane World for Animals Korea were at Incheon International Airport Logistics Center on Tuesday to send 16 rescued dogs to a rehabilitation center in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Canada. The dogs, which included Stella, a three-year-old Jindo and husky mix, and her five puppies, traveled in the cargo hold of an Air Canada passenger flight to Toronto. From there, they will be transferred by truck to their final destination. After being checked for health conditions at the rehabilitation center, the dogs will be placed under the care of local agencies for the adoption process.
The dogs are part of a group of 68 dogs and puppies rescued from a farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in February last year. The farm had been caught secretly supplying animals to the dog meat market and eventually relinquished ownership of the dogs to Humane World for Animals Korea. The rescued dogs were first sent to Washington, D.C., in May. Lee said he met with the farm owner weekly until May to discuss how his organization would care for the animals.
The agency is currently searching for another dog meat farm in Korea for a new rescue mission. “Now that all farms are required to submit their business closure plans to the government, I plan to work with the authorities to identify the locations of other farms with dogs that need rescuing,” Lee said.
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