South Korea is shutting down one of its largest dog meat markets.
Gupo dog meat market in Busan will be closed down in the near future, according to Humane Society International (HSI) – a non-profit working to end dog meat sales in the country.
Gupo was a “notorious” dog meat market, known for “live dogs killed to order” and the sale of chilled dog meat.
Its closure resulted from an agreement between the Busan authorities and the 19 dog meat sellers working out of the Gupo Live Stock Market.
After the closure of the market, the area will be converted into a public park by the government.
This is the second biggest victory for HSI and other animal rights organizations fighting to put an end to dog meat trade in South Korea.
“Seongnam city demolished Taepyeong, the country’s largest dog slaughterhouse, and closed down most of the related dog meat vendor” in November 2018, according to HSI.
Nara Kim, an animal rights activist from Humane Society Korea and HSI, sees these changes as “a sign of more compassionate times.”
“The closure plan is the result of months of hard work between the local authorities and the market vendors, and both sides are to be commended for working towards this goal that will not only bring to an end to Gupo’s dog meat era, but will also see the area regenerated with new amenities and businesses for the benefit of the local, modern economy,” Nara said of their recent success.point 427 | 1
“HSI has been working with dog meat farmers in South Korea for nearly four years helping them close their flagging businesses as more people in the county turn away from dog meat, so the closure of Gupo’s grimly iconic dog market, which follows the demolition last year of the country’s largest dog slaughterhouse complex, is a sign of more compassionate times,” she said.
Nara hopes that Gupo’s closure will inspire other South Korean cities to put an end to their “increasingly unpopular” dog meat trade.
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