Animal welfare and rights in South Korea

[1] The law prohibits cruelty against vertebrates such as cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, deer, foxes, and mink, but excluding fish, crustaceans, and other animals commonly used by humans.

The penalty for cruelty is imprisonment with labor up to 1 year or a ten million won (approximately 8,450 USD) fine.

A 2011 amendment changes the "endeavor" wording to a strict liability requirement and creates a penalty of imprisonment for some offences.

[5][6] South Korea's beef cattle originated as draft animals on rice farms.

Growth in poultry production began to grow significantly in the 1980s and 1990s with the introduction of fast-food fried chicken franchises.

[7] The dog meat trade is a major concern for South Korean animal activists.

[2] In a 2013 poll, 7/10 South Korean respondents supported an end to testing cosmetics on animals.

That year, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced a policy proposal to recognize non-animal test results for functional cosmetics like sunscreens and anti-wrinkle creams.

[1] In 2015, a law was passed which mandates the use of non-animal alternative tests for certain cosmetics determined by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, effective 2018.

A new opinion poll conducted in July 2020 by independent polling company Realmeter, and commissioned by Humane Society International/Korea, reveals that the majority of the Korean public want to see their tax money spent on supporting these advanced approaches instead of animal testing.

The popularity of fur has risen in recent years, with total market value rising from ₩789 billion in 2007 to ₩1.1 trillion in 2012.