Dear President of South Korea,
It’s been impressive to see how quickly South Korea has developed over the last few decades. Last year, South Korea soared to 15th place in the IMF’s GDP list. Korea’s industry is booming, its cities are modernizing, and it’s becoming a major global player. At the same time, South Korea has developed socially, taking major steps in the arena of animal protection. This year Seoul established the country’s first municipal animal welfare department. But while South Korea is developing in many ways, it has made little progress on one important issue: the human consumption of dog and cat meat. Over the last thirty years, this brutal and backwards industry has continued despite South Korea’s growth. As a developed nation, South Korea should reform its animal protection law to meet the standards of other developed nations. And as the host of the 2018 Winter Games, South Korea will be under even greater international scrutiny for its animal abuses. If South Korea wants to earn the good opinion of other developed nations, it needs to clean up its animal rights scorecard.Please lend your support in making the dog and cat meat trade illegal.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
SEND TO:
President Moon Jae-inPresident of South Korea
Blue House
1 Cheongwadae-ro
Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-820
Republic of Korea
Web mail: http://english.president.go.kr/common/email.php
E-mail: webmaster@president.go.kr , foreign@president.go.kr
Dear Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
I’m encouraged by the good news about South Korea’s first Animal Welfare Department in Seoul. In many ways, Seoul’s new programs are shining examples for the rest of South Korea. The changes in the capital suggest a major advancement in the country’s attitude toward animals. However, one area of South Korea’s animal protection is decades behind: the dog meat industry remains virtually unchallenged. Please do your part to remove dogs from the list of livestock animals in MIFAFF’s Livestock Industry Act. By designating dogs as livestock, MIFAFF perpetuates the gruesome companion animal meat industry. As a new economic and diplomatic power, South Korea has a responsibility to revise its animal protection policies to adhere to the standards of other developed nations. Currently, South Korea is one of the only developed nations in the world to allow dog, cat, and bear products to be traded.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
SEND TO:
Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MIFAFF),
Government Complex Gwacheon
47 Gwanmun-ro
Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
Republic of Korea
Phone: 82-2-503-7201
E-mail: suhky19@mifaff.go.kr, master@mifaff.go.kr
Dear Minister of Health and Welfare,
News of Seoul’s Animal Welfare Department makes me optimistic for the future of animal protection in South Korea. But Seoul’s new AWD does little to address a larger animal abuse concern in your country: the dog meat trade. Not only is the companion animal meat trade a horrendous violation of animal rights, it’s also a major health concern. The filthy conditions in which the dogs are raised and slaughtered encourage the spread of disease among animals and people. Dog meat has been linked to the spread of Salmonella, colon bacillus, yellow staphylococcus, trichinellosis, cholera, and rabies. Also, meat dogs are usually treated with a dangerous amount of antibiotics. In the absence of the health risks introduced during rearing and processing, dog meat is still an unhealthy food. A recent study has shown that eating dog meat leads to heart issues and fatigue. The solution to this problem is not just to regulate the industry, but to make it illegal once and for all. Please do your part to outlaw the dog meat industry and educate the South Korean people that consuming dog meat is a health risk.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
SEND TO:
Ministry of Health and Welfare
75 Yulgong-ro
Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-793
Republic of Korea
Dear Minister of Education, Science and Technology,
I was excited when I heard that Seoul was establishing the first municipal Animal Welfare Department in Korea, and I was even more excited to hear that the department’s plan included public education. My hope is that the rest of South Korea will learn from Seoul’s Animal Welfare Department, and begin instilling respect for animals in the next generation through public education programs. Please educate South Korean children about the humane treatment of animals and discourage them from taking part in the dog meat industry. You can play a role in dispelling myths about cats and dogs and fostering a sense of respect for companion animals in Korea.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
SEND TO:
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Central Government Complex
77-6 Sejong-no
Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-760
Republic of Korea
Phone: 82-2-2100-6060, 6570
Fax: 82-2-2100-6579
Dear Minister of Environment,
It’s been impressive to see how quickly South Korea has developed since the Korean War. Korea’s industry is booming, its cities are modernizing, and it’s becoming a major global player. At the same time, South Korea’s sense of ethics has evolved, and the country has taken major steps in the arena of animal protection. But while Korea is rapidly developing, it has made little progress on the problem of bear farming. I applaud the Ministry of Environment’s efforts to stop moon bear poaching from Jirisan National Park, but your ministry hasn’t done nearly enough to address the inhumane treatment of farmed bears. Korea’s National Assembly has taken a step in the right direction by approving funds to research strategies for ending bear farming. However, the Assembly can’t work fast enough to make bear farms illegal. Until bear farms are banned, please do your part to ensure that captive bears are kept in suitable habitats, given proper food and medical care, and treated humanely. As a developed nation, South Korea has a responsibility to reform its animal protection practices to meet the standards of other developed nations. Please help protect South Korea’s bears.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
SEND TO:
Minister of Environment
47 Gwanmoon-ro
Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 427-729
Republic of Korea
Dear Judiciary Department,
In recent news, Seoul’s first ever Animal Welfare Department announced its plan for revamping animal protection in South Korea’s capital. Its agenda is a fantastic example of comprehensive planning, and the department has the potential to be the testing grounds for a national model. Seoul’s successes could teach the Judiciary Department how to better enforce animal protection law by educating law enforcement officers and citizens. A number Korea’s animal protection, food and drug, and sanitation laws, were they enforced, would effectively dismantled the dog meat trade. Yet law officers have been disempowered to uphold this legislation, allowing the heinous companion animal meat industry to continue. Please put a system in place to train both Korea’s police and its citizens that it is illegal to kill dogs publicly and serve dog meat in restaurants.
Sincerely,
Animal rights activist
Ministry of Justice
Building #5, Gwacheon Government Complex
Jungang-dong 1
Gwacheon-si, Kyunggi-do
Republic of Korea
Phone: 82-2-503-7023
E-mail : webmaster@moj.go.kr