South Korea offers incentives, adoptions ahead of ban on farming dogs for food

FILE PHOTO: A dog in a cage is pictured during a protest to demand the government to scrap plans to pass a bill to enforce a ban on eating dog meat, in front of the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, November 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will help rehome almost half a million dogs bred for food and give dog farmers subsidies and incentives to help them prepare for a ban on the practice set to take effect in early 2027, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

In January, parliament passed a bill to ban the eating and selling of dog meat, ending the controversial centuries-old tradition in a country that has seen growing support for animal welfare and a waning appetite for the food.