One of South Korea’s most notorious dog meat markets was raided by authorities on July 1 as part of a crackdown in Seoul, the nation’s capital.
A total of 85 terrified dogs, mostly Korean Jindo-mixes, were rescued by local charity workers. They were found cowering in cramped cages, so scared that they sometimes refused to come out, and had to be coaxed, comforted, or physically removed by rescuers.
That infamous market, called Gupo, in Busan was symbolically significant for the dog trade, openly flaunting caged animals outside dog meat shops in a conspicuously public location. Butchered dogmeat was presented there, on display, in see-through freezer doors.
“The closure of Gupo’s dog meat market means the end of a gruesome era in South Korea’s dog meat history, and a sign of the times that law enforcement and local authorities are cracking down on this increasingly unpopular industry that most Koreans want nothing to do with,” said Nara Kim with the Humane Society International.
“I know we have a long way to go to end the dog meat trade here, but even two years ago I would never have believed we would see such progress.”
Kim added that she was pleased to have been able to cooperate with authorities to rescue these last surviving dogs from Gupo.
Electrocution is a common way of killing dogs for food, although they are sometimes hung.
“The smell was overwhelming,” said Nara. “HSI has closed down 14 dog meat farms in South Korea and rescued nearly 1,800 dogs, all of whom would have ended up in a terrible place just like this.
“All the dogs at Gupo have been removed and transported to a temporary shelter where they will recover from their ordeal.”
Like some 2 million believed dogs in South Korea, these dogs were born and bred on dog farms specifically for the dog meat trade.
The recent series of large-scale crackdowns in Seoul is part of an urban planning project for a public park. At its height during the 1970s and 80s, there were some 60 dog meat shops in Gupo. The infamous trade started to decline following the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Many dog meat farmers have also given up the business due to the growing stigma surrounding the trade.
Although very few South Koreans consume dog meat, it is served in a soup called bosintang, a popular dish during the months of July and August.
Kim says that some of the rescued dogs will remain in South Korea to be adopted out. Meanwhile, HSI will send the rest to Canada and the United States to be cared for and fostered, and hopefully to find loving forever homes.
