International Aid for Korean Animals

How It Began

It began in 1989 when Sunnan Kum wrote to her sister, Kyenan Kum, to help start an international campaign to end human consumption of dog and cat meat. Kyenan sent letters to world organizations for help and worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare to stop the cruelty and to ban dog meat consumption. In 1990, Kyenan moved to Korea to assist in passing the first animal protection law (not good enough to enforce) with the Korean Government in 1991 and established the first animal protection society, Korea Animal Protection Society, with Sunnan in 1992. Between 1990 and 1996, while campaigning to stop the human consumption of dogs and cats, promoting animal protection, and advocating for humane education in Korea. In 1997, Kyenan returned to the US and established International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) as an international campaign to end the consumption of dogs and cats for human consumption. Around 1999, a Korean assemblyman introduced a law to legalize the consumption of dog meat. Kyenan held a worldwide campaign against the legalization of dog meat as livestock animals for human consumption and was able to stop it. Meanwhile, IAKA assists KAPS and other startup shelters in promoting spay/neuter and humane education. After 35 years, the Korean government finally passed a law banning the sale of dog meat in 2024, which will take effect in 2027.

IAKA is a registered non-profit organization 501(c)(3) 94-3255699