International Aid for Korean Animals

How It Began

It began with a parent’s love. A father who believed in educating his daughters the same as his sons. He was a progressive thinker for post-war Korea. He believed that with a good education women could do or be anything. He was an acupuncturist, herbalist, and animal lover who believed that the best of Eastern and Western medicine would eventually come together for the benefit of all. Two of his daughters, Sunnan and Kyenan, took his many lessons to heart. Throughout the 1980s Kyenan pursued her education in the United States while Sunnan rescued Korean animals in need. In 1989 Sunnan wrote to Kyenan, asking her to help organize an international campaign to end the human consumption of dog and cat meat. What followed was the passing of the first animal protection law in Korea, the founding of the Korean Animal Protection Society (KAPS), then the establishment of International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA), and in 2024 after 35 years of campaigns, rescue work, and struggle – the passing of a law that bans the sale of dog meat in Korea.

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