It was the largest dog slaughterhouse in South Korea, a hellish place where hundreds of cramped metal cages confined terrified dogs, suffering as they awaited a painful and traumatic death courtesy of the dog meat trade. But last week saw the closure of the notoriously brutal Taepyeong slaughterhouse in Seoul, as animal activists gathered to witness the bulldozing of the site.
Humane Society International, Korea Animal Rights Advocates and the Korean Animal Welfare Association worked with the Seongnam City Council to shut down Taepyeong, a move that signifies a growing willingness within South Korea to put an end to the cruel trade.
“Both as a Korean citizen and an animal campaigner, it was incredibly moving for me to be a part of the historic closure of this notorious dog slaughterhouse,” said Nara Kim, HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaigner. “This really feels like a landmark moment in the demise of the dog meat industry in South Korea, and sends the clear message that the dog meat industry is increasingly unwelcome in Korean society.”
Five of the six slaughterhouses at Taepyeong were to be bulldozed immediately, with the sixth to follow once permits are acquired. The site is destined to be converted into a community park.
In further positive progress, the renowned Moran Market — once the largest dog meat market in South Korea — closed down its last permanent dog meat vendor. This market was once estimated to provide 30-40% of the dog meat in the nation and was responsible for the death of around 20,000 dogs every year.
South Korea has long been targeted by animal activists for their dog meat trade, in which an estimated 700,000 to one million dogs are slaughtered every year. Although the consumption of dog and cat meat is widespread throughout Asia, this is the only nation where dogs are intensively farmed for their meat.
With Taepyeong out of action, activists are optimistic that other slaughterhouses will suffer the same fate, spelling the end for this horrifically cruel industry in South Korea.
“Taepyeong’s closure is an historical event, and hopefully may trigger the closure of other illegal dog slaughterhouses throughout the country,” said Hyunji Kim from Korea Animal Rights Advocates. “Until we achieve this, we really appreciate the support of both Korean people and global citizens who love animals, for helping our campaigns to completely end dog meat in Korea.”
Praise God… but it was to Late for to many lives
THANK YOU TO THE AWESOME PEOPLE WHO HELPED SHUT THE GRUESOME HORRIBLE SLAUGHTER FARM DOWN. SO SO SAD FOR ALL THE POOR DOGGIES WHO DIED SUCH HORRIFIC DEATHS THERE AND STILL SO MANY STILL SUFFERING. I PRAY ALL ANIMAL ABUSE WILL BE PUNISHED GREATLY.
korea: Hit South Korea in the pocket book. Don’t buy a Hyundai made in Korea. Don’t buy their
appliances, i.e. don’t purchase a Samsung. This is the ONLY way South Korea will do anything to
stop the horrible killing and eating dogs – man’s best friend.
Nareszcie!!! Zamknąć wszystkie jak najszybciej!!! To nie ludzie, to bestie tak traktują zwierzęta
What’s to prevent them from opening up another slaughter house ?
It must be said that there was ‘delays’ in clearing the last slaughterhouse on this site and ‘mysteriously’ the dogs being held there awaiting the horrific slaughter had ‘disappeared’ How convenient for the heartless, soul-less, cruel, brutal masses that torture, kill and eat these innocent animals…….
Finally a slaughterhouse is closed down !!! They all need to be closed down for good !!!
This is good news!
South Korea new generation, animal lovers and animal activists are welcoming a brand new word of humanity. Thank you all for the bottom of my heart. I just wish other Asian countries, more specifically China would follow and see what being human truly means.
After al the dozens of petitions I have signed I never thought I’d see this day come I am beyond thrilled. Thank you to all involved.
Take care Coreen
très bonne nouvelle! Comme quoi il faut continuer toutes ces actions, que ce soit les coréens ou dans le monde entier!
To all that made this shut down happen…much thanks to those who cared and put it all on the line for the dogs. Sadly still many many more to lose down and more dogs to save.
SONTHANKFUL THE LARGEST IS CLOSED AND BULLDOZED DOWN AND I PRAY THRY ALL WILL BE AND THE DOGS AND CATS WILL BE RESCUED AND FIND LOVING HOMES. ASIA IS HATED FOR WHAT THEY DO TO THESE ANIMALS. MY HOPE IS THE SLAUGHTER FARMS WILL BE SHUT DOWN AND THE MEAT TRADE WILL CEASE TO EXHIST. THE HEARTLESS SCUM WHO HAVE KILLED SO MANY HOPEFULLY WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES.
Excellent news!!!
But, please, please, PLEASE do not forget that cats are also raised in filth and pain, slaughtered in horrible ways, and consumed. Please do not let them become the go-to meat in these places.
Animal Lovers fight for ALL animals, not just to ones you like.
NO animal should be treated in this way – NONE.
NONE
I AM AGREE WHIT YOU
SAVE THE CATS
You are big human. Go to alwais so.
OMG OMG OMG !! I AM SOOOO HAPPY to hear this ! I’m a strong believer that the Soi Dog organization is making a huge difference and prayed for this to happen. Its a beginning…lets keep going !
This is very good new dogs should not be killed .for meat .its disgusting to think in the year 2018 that theses poor dogs that have been kicked out by there owners to be picked up by barbaric humans whoenjoy beating them to death or cutting them up while alive .i dont understand who humans can live with themselve to eat dogs .some tgat had been stollen from yards ..its people that have done this to dogs.and they get away with it its dogs that have to pay for the sins of the owners .bless all dogs .
Thank you for posting this! It’s wonderful to hear to good news like this!
This is fantastic news; it sounds like this particular closure is an important one. The people who work so hard to make this happen are fantastic! I wouldn’t be able to do what these people do because there would be scenes too heartbreaking to see. Thank you so much for what you do!
Thanks to everyone concerned.
What marvellous news. Thank God and all the animal activists who brought this about.
This is great good news!! I’m so glad these petitions accomplish something, but apart from that , I know there are many hardworking animal rights people on the front lines taking risks and doing unpleasant things to accomplish this. THANK YOU there in South Korea for doing this!! You will be blessed!
Partout dans le monde les animaux subissent tant d’atrocités, qu’il est tellement merveilleux d’apprendre cette excellente nouvelle. Bravo à toutes ces personnes qui s’impliquent courageusement pour arrêter la barbarie et les souffrances infligées à tant d’animaux. C’est un magnifique espoir pour l’avenir de tous ces êtres si peu considérés.
One word, hallelujah!
THIS IS SO FANTASTIC!!! I AM ELATED. FINALLY THESE PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED TO JOIN THE REST OF THE WORLD IN BEING A CIVILIZED COUNTRY. YES, BULLDOZE THESE HELL HOLES NEVER TO COME BACK AGAIN.
I THANK ALL THE BRAVE AND PERSISTENT PEOPLE WHO NEVER GAVE UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. YEAHHHHHHHHHH
Encouraging news! Let’s all gear up for another massive effort and take it further!
GLAD TO HERE THIS HOPE THEY ALLCLOSE DOWN ITS VILE
At last! Some good news, saving countless dogs from a hellish horror. NOW we must make sure cats do not face the same hell!
This is really good news.
What happened to the petition that gained well over 200,000 signatures in less than a month demanding the Korean Parliament ban the slaughter and consumption of cats and dogs?
Great news ,made my day!.Massive thanks for all your hard work for all you do against sickening animal abuse.Thanks also on behalf of all the animals you fight to save.Respect.x
This is indeed a landmark event and I’m delighted to hear it.
Best news ever, hope they all close. These people need to learn a proper trade and not live on the backs
of stolen pets being murdered.
WOW, WHAT FANTASTIC NEWS, BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!!!!!!! WELL ODNE TO ALL OF YOU WHO BOUGHT THIS ACTION ABOUT, ITS FABULOUS!!!!
EXCELLENT NEWS — good work by all — you have a long road ahead — there are still quite a few horror houses left in S. Korea, large and small — not to mention in the rest of Asia — please KEEP AT IT! — the passionate push-back of the world is working, albeit slowly — continue until all the hell-holes are DEMOLISHED — modern, civilized, moral society would NEVER allow for such brutality to animals, whether “pets” or otherwise.
I’m so happy to read this great news!!! I hope that Korea continues to keep up this great work and I hope that everywhere else where dogs and cats are slaughtered for their meet is stopped indefinitely!!!
I meant meat
PROGRESS!!!
This is great news!!!
Unbelievable fantastic news!!!
This is incredible news. Now the effort needs to continue to eradicate this despicable industry from the country and then the rest of the world.
Please, please though, install proper animal protection laws and the obligatory spaying of street dogs.
A huge thank you to all who have made this happen.
Excellente nouvelle!
Merci à tous ceux qui ont contribué à cela!
Marty has said everything that needs saying. The efforts made on behalf of all of us who are compassionate and caring about our world and the creatures who inhabit it has been incredible. From the bottom of my heart I thank you. x
I have to comment on this. It cries out to me, an avid dog lover. This is the vilest of countries only to be surpassed by the countless animal cruelties of China!! I have signed, like millions of others, every petition that has come across my path to speak up against the worst cruelty to dogs, the dog meat trade!! Just a few days ago, I say another petition and there in this photo I spotted a labrador, one of the most loveliest of dogs. This boy/girl lay in this crate packed full of dogs and looked as if she/he had resigned herself/himself to the fate that lay ahead. I couldn’t stop crying becaus of the total sadness of such suffering. Clearly, this dog was one of the stolen ones, destined to be skinned and cooked alive!! How do we let such cruelty and suffering go on? I would never, at the minimum, set foot in such a country nor buy or eat any food produced there. I wish that N. Korea had of taken over S. Korea because that would have meant that millions of dogs and cats lives would have been spared the most awful fate immaginable.
I think I recall that the beloved leader of North Korea, Kim thingy, advocated the eating of dog meat to keep warm.
Perhaps I’m wrong but I am pretty sure I read this somewhere.
The other important issue is that the north is communist whilst the south is mainly Christian.
Marty Bostic, you have bad information. Kim Jong-un advocates eating dog meat. He proclaimed tortured dog meat is more tender and produces virility.
How do we know that No. Korea does not consume dog/cat meat? — from what I read, it’s a Korean thing — an Asian thing, if you will — I’m not sure about Japan, though — Hong Kong? — Taiwan? — must look into this — I believe some here in the U.S. consume dog/cat meat — WHo? — The number of peope? — where specifically?
What an amazing, heroic effort. The. Animal activists who accomplished this deserve Nobel Peace prizes! Anyone up to recommending them?
PURE AWESOMENESS!!!!
Very good news
HALLELUJAH
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS MADE MY DAY!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant news.. let this be a massive step towards ending this horrific trsde xx
Resoect to all that made it happen xx
I am so happy to hear them shut it down for goid but im still sadden after all what the dogs and cats went through.
NOW, we need to go after China they are one of the most mentally damaged and need stop animal cruelty. Lets keep pushing and fighting yo stop all meat trade once for all.
Brilliant news to many poor dogs have faced a death that doesn’t even bear thinking of. Now let’s get everything other slaughter house shut down now
We must also close the slaughter houses in China and all over the world.