South Korean farmers try to release canines, clash with police over dog meat ban
- Dozens of farmers protested near the presidential office in Seoul, saying politicians had no right to close down an industry or decide what people chose to eat
- They also accused first lady Keon-hee, a vocal critic of dog meat consumption, of exercising improper pressure on the government to bring in the ban
About 200 South Korean farmers who breed and raise dogs for human consumption held a rally on Thursday near the presidential office in the capital Seoul, demanding the government scrap a plan to ban the controversial centuries-old practice.
Dozens of farmers, who had tried to drive into the street in front of the presidential office by truck with dogs in cages that they intended to release at the scene, were turned away by the police who inspected the cargo covered with blankets.
The time is now to put an end to the controversy around eating dog meat, party members have said, adding there was broad support from the opposition party, which currently controls parliament, and from the public.
More than 6 million South Korean households now own dogs as pets in a country of about 51 million people, and Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee are owners of six dogs, including a retired guide dog and a rescue dog.
A Gallup Korea poll last year showed almost two-thirds of respondents opposed eating dog meat, with only 8 per cent saying they had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27 per cent in 2015.