For centuries, dog meat held a place in Korean life rooted in hardship, medicine, and survival — but by February 2027, South Korea will formally close that chapter. Legislation passed in January 2024 gave farmers and restaurateurs three years to wind down, and the transition is already well underway, with over 80 percent of known farms shuttered. The shift reflects something deeper than policy: a society reconsidering what it owes to the animals that now sleep at its feet.
South Korea's dog meat ban takes final bite as farms close ahead of 2027 deadline
Thousands of dogs rescued from meat farms; restaurant workers and vendors facing economic hardship and job loss as the industry closes.