I know, this must be a controversial matter. But it does not prevent us from observing from the perspective of journalism that South Korea has indeed done a big thing.
On January 9, the South Korean parliament passed a bill with the theme of banning dog meat in South Korea in the future.
That's right, you heard it right, Koreans can't eat dog meat in the future.
According to this regulation, in South Korea, it is forbidden to raise, breed, or slaughter dogs for food purposes in the future, and it is forbidden to circulate, sell, or cook and process dogs as raw materials.
If you do this, you will be violating South Korean law.
The punishment provided for in this bill is that slaughtering dogs for food purposes will be punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (about 165,000 yuan), and dogs breeding, breeding or selling for food purposes will be punished by up to 2 years in prison or fined up to 20 million won (about 110,000 yuan).
Of course, taking into account the actual situation in South Korea, the bill sets a three-year transition period. The bill was passed on January 9, but it came into force three years later.
In South Korea, dog meat is also an industry that involves the livelihood of many Koreans. Therefore, the bill also stipulates that dog breeders, slaughterhouses, retailers and dog meat shops must report relevant facilities and business contents to the government, and the government will help them declare closure or change of business.
That is, in the future, you will not do dog meat business, and the government will help.
That's the way it is, but it's a big change for a millennia-old eating Xi.
Don't forget, eating dog meat on dog days is a Korean tradition. In the past, the report of the Xinsheng News Agency impressed me with the fact that South Korea eats 1 million dogs every year, and "oily dog meat is a traditional delicacy of Koreans."
Of course, there is no need to deny that South Korea has come this far because of the pressure of the West.
I remember that on the eve of the 1988 Seoul Olympics (then called Seoul), some animal protection organizations in Europe and the United States publicly threatened to boycott the Seoul Olympics unless South Korea banned dog meat.
What to do?
Dog meat is forbidden? Koreans don't agree.
Don't want to eat dog meat? The organizations won't say yes.
In the end, the Koreans came up with a good idea, which used to be called "dog meat soup" without disguise, but now it is not called, and it is called "nutritional soup" and "tonic soup". Both sides gave way, and the dog meat slowly became invisible.
The subsequent 2002 South Korea-Japan World Cup and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics all encountered dog meat controversy. Western media and dignitaries have criticized South Korea's dog meat culture, and the South Korean government has been quiet, many dog meat shops have been closed, and dog meat has disappeared from the menu.
South Korean dog meat operators have also held protests, believing that this is a traditional Korean food culture, and they even openly ate dog meat in front of the National Assembly, but their arms could not twist their thighs, and many protests eventually failed.
Now, the South Korean National Assembly has passed a bill to completely ban the consumption of dog meat after three years.
Finally, what do you think?
I know that this is a very controversial topic, and there must be strong support and extreme opposition, dog lovers must be happy, dog meat lovers must be sad.
First of all, I personally seriously eat partially, dog meat, beef, lamb and many other meats, I don't eat when I am young, this has nothing to do with religion, it is completely a bad Xi of personal partial eating. Oh, and the fish and shrimp are still eaten. Whoever invites me to dinner in the future, don't eat beef and mutton.
In a completely personal opinion, South Korea's move will certainly win favor in the West, but it also raises three questions.
First, three years later, will it really be implemented?
Could it be that Koreans don't eat it on the surface, but actually eat it secretly?
Will the things of hanging sheep's heads and selling dog meat really happen?
That's really not good. We'll ride a donkey and read the record book—we'll see.
Second, what about other countries after South Korea?
Certainly, with the defeat of South Korea, other countries will be under more pressure.
Even if only a small number of people eat dog meat, it will often be put on the platform and become a focus of public opinion.
It will even ferment into the offensive and defensive of international public opinion, and we must be prepared.
Third, the dog is freed, but what about the other animals?
It has to be said that the world is unjust, even for animals.
Dogs are freed in Korea, but what about cows, sheep, and pigs?
You know, in many parts of the world, horses are also close to people, and cows are closer to people. But intimacy does not prevent cattle and horses from suffering the fate of a knife in the end. Even in the West, they are particularly fond of cows.
Oh, and don't forget, the Japanese still eat whale meat.
The enlightenment book "Three Character Classic" written by the Song people in China talks about domestic animals, and it is said that horses, cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs. These six animals are fed by people.
In the past, dogs were equal to horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs, and they were all domestic animals raised by people, and they were probably also objects of food. But then, everything changed.
People's dietary habits and Xi habits and concepts are changing, and dogs have earned themselves more status than domestic animals, but they don't know whether other animals are envious?
will still sigh silently: This world is too TMD unfair!