Kyenan Kum
When Kyenan left Korea in 1970 to attend art school in the United States, the consumption of dogs was truly a fringe activity, primarily a result of financial hardships of the post-war years. Cat consumption was essentially unheard of. But by 1986 the stories coming from Korea, about the growth of dog meat markets and a new koyangi soju (cat tonic) took her by surprise. In 1988, Kyenan returned to Korea and made her first visit to one of the markets. Incredibly, she found that the economic prosperity that was settling on Korea had not helped the plight of animals there. Instead, the dog traders had turned virtually all wildlife into commodity. By spreading misinformation about the health benefits and curative powers of dog and cat meat, vendors and restaurant owners turned what was once a necessity of poverty into a thriving industry. With this revelation, Kyenan was convinced that something needed to be done. She began work toward establishing the first Korean Animal Protection Law (1991), and became a representative for IFAW.
Kyenan, an accomplished painter, currently lives in California with 2 cats she rescued from Seoul, Korea. She is also founder and director of the International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) which she operates from her home. IAKA is solely dedicated to raising funds and support from the international community.