Animal Protection Law
The Korea Animal Protection Law was first adopted May 7th, 1991. Since then, the Korean government has attempted to revise the law on several occasions to open the door to a legal dog meat trade, but have so far been unsuccessful.
Since the law's inception, IAKA has been constantly battling to strengthen this law and see stronger and clearer penalties for those who commit crimes towards animals. Finally, on January 26th, 2007, Korea revised the Animal Protection Law, imposing harsher penalties, adding clearer definitions of cruelty, and introducing new legislation aimed at increasing responsibility amongst pet owners, improving conditions for animal retailers and reducing the overall number of abandoned animals.
The new law went into effect on January 27th, 2008 following a one-year grace period allowing pet owners and businesses to adjust to the new regulations.
Links:
- Reasons for Revision and Key Points of the New Law
(from Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) - 1991 Animal Protection Law (full text)
- 2007 Animal Protection Law (full text)
- Comparison and Commentary (coming soon)
- Related Laws