WAV Comment:

We reported on the then President elect, Mr Moon; back in 2017.  You can see some of our articles that were published at the time on ‘Serbian Animals Voice’.

So where are we now ? – surprisingly, 2022 sees the election of a new President to South Korea; and suddenly, the dog farm / dog meat trade rears its head yet again.  Mr. Moon, the man who was elected as President with so many promises for the dog meat trade back in 2017 is NOT allowed to run again for President under the South Korean constitution.

We remember, and publish here, pictures of the then to be President Moon informing us all that the dog meat trade was going to be a priority issue.  We remember all the promises of things going to be done, and the pictures of Mr Moon cuddling up to dogs; who he alleged he was going to protect.

Well, to be basic, Moon has not really done much at all in his presidency.  Now we are rolling along to new elections in March 2022. The issue of the dog meat trade is suddenly rearing its campaign head again.

We hope that the next elected president will do a great deal better than Mr. Moon; who we see as being all puff and no wind when it came down to reality.  We greatly hope that the coming months will see legislation introduced which will put an end to South Korean dog meat farms for once and for all.  We, and many other welfare groups will never let this abhorrent issue die; an issue which could have been resolved years ago had the president lived up to his promises of doing something about the trade.

For the first time in a long time we are hearing rumblings of changes in the dog meat trade.  We welcome this, but based on past election promises, we are taking nothing for granted; we have been duped with false hopes and promises before.

Lets see what the next few months actually bring !

Regards Mark

Some past President Moon posts on SAV:

South Korea: The Pre Election Promise That After An Election Win Became A ‘Not Interested’. Shame On President Moon. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

South Korea: Impeachment Of Current President Brings New Hope For Mr. Moon and Animal Welfare / Dog Meat Trade. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

South Korea: Please Give Your Support To The New President Who Is Taking PositiveAction For Animals. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

South Korea: Election On 9/5/17. Animal Welfare Supporter Mr Moon Jae In Currently Leads In Polls – Great News For Animals. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Under the South Korean constitution, the president is restricted to a single five-year term in office, meaning the incumbent president Moon Jae-in is ineligible to run for a second term.

The 2022 election will determine the office of the President of the Republic of Korea. It is expected to be held by 9 March 2022.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/south-koreas-2022-presidential-race-is-taking-shape/

S.Korea’s Moon hints at dog meat ban amid debate over animal rights | Reuters

S.Korea’s Moon hints at dog meat ban amid debate over animal rights

SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) – South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said on Monday there might be a need to prohibit dog meat consumption amid debate over the controversial practice and growing awareness of animal rights.

While no longer as common as before, dog meat is eaten mainly by older people and is served in some restaurants and can be bought at specific markets.

Moon made the remarks after being briefed by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on efforts to improve the handling of abandoned animals and a mandatory registration system for dogs. read more

“After the briefing, he said time has come to carefully consider imposing a dog meat ban,” Moon’s spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a statement.

It was the first time that Moon raised a ban, which is likely to give fresh momentum to debate over whether to curtail the practice.

To boost their popularity, several presidential hopefuls have pledged to ban dog meat in recent weeks, especially as dogs have become popular as pets and advocacy groups have urged South Korea to close down restaurants and markets selling dog meat.

Lee Jae-myung, governor of the country’s most populous province of Gyeonggi and a leading presidential contender from Moon’s party, has vowed to push for a ban through social consensus.

But Yoon Seok-youl, an opposition frontrunner, has said it was a matter of people’s personal choice.

A poll commissioned by animal welfare group Aware released this month said 78% of respondents believed the production and sale of dog and cat meat should be prohibited and 49% supported a consumption ban.

But, another survey by polling firm Realmeter found people were divided over whether the government should ban eating dog meat, though 59% supported legal restrictions on dog slaughter for human consumption.

Dog meat sellers have insisted on the right to their occupation, saying their livelihoods are at risk.

Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Christian Schmollinger