1.    The relationship between President Seok-yeol Yoon and Kun-hee Kim and the Special Act Banning Dog-meat

On January 9^th, 2024, the Korean National Assembly passed “the Special Act on the Breeding, Slaughtering, and Distribution of Dogs for the Purpose of Eating Dogs” (hereinafter referred to as “the Special Act Banning Dog-meat”). Now, based on the three-year grace period aimed at phase-out of the industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is implementing its plan for the phase-out. In the same process, many animal rights groups and animal rights advocates are trying to ensure that the Special Act is implemented correctly. However, I observe two problems among some lawmakers and citizens. The first is the rather incorrect awareness that the Special Act was passed thanks to President Seok-yeal Yoon and his wife, Ms. Kun-hee Kim who are known to love companion animals and the second is a debate surrounding the financial cost to phase out the industry. I started my anti-dogmeat movement in 1996, 26 years ago. Then, the current famous Korean animal rights groups were non-existent or just fledglings and most of the anti-dogmeat movement was covered by overseas animal rights groups and foreign citizens. As the culture of animal companionship began to develop in Korea and Korean animal rights groups secured stable support within the country, the political parties and journalists joined the movement. In the process, many animal rights groups and citizens worked so hard while all in tears all along. As for me, just because I took part in the anti-dogmeat movement, I have been subjected to the radio wave crime conducted by [the Association] working to legalize the dog-meat trade for 9 years. Also, many animal rights activists went to prison, paid fines and compensated just to move on to ban the dog-meat trade and harness the still growing industry in the dark. So many Korean citizens took part in the movement and built capacity of Korean animal rights groups who then mobilized the power of citizens to move the political parties and journalists, resulting in the passing of the Special Act Banning Dog-meat. The love of dogs of President Yoon and his wife is widely known, both in Korea and abroad and Ms. Kun-hee Kim also raised her voice openly to pass the Special Act. However, I do not consent when some people call the Special Act “the Kun-hee Kim Law”. For more than 40 years, so many animals were victimized and sacrificed. So many animal rights groups and citizens worked together. Some of the animal rights activists virtually gave up their life just to save the dogs. If I must mention a certain political party that contributed to passing of the Special Act, I think that without Rep. Jae-myung Lee and Rep. Jeong-ae Han, the Democratic Party of Korea or the Minjoo Party, the passing of the Special Act must have been impossible. In the past, dog-meat consumption was somehow protected by some people categorized to be from progressive or democracy movement, which worked as a big obstacle to end the dog-meat trade in Korea because they were supposed to be politically more legitimate. This means that this force worked as a casting vote in terms of termination of the dog-meat trade. Therefore, the bold step towards the ending of the dog-meat trade taken by Rep. Jae-myung Lee who declared that the enactment of the Special Act was his party’s official position and his joining hands with the long-time animal rights advocate, Rep. Jeong-ae Han were the first main force behind the passing of the Special Act. Thus, I think that calling the Special Act “the Kun-hee Kim Law” is very unfair and incorrect. I hope that politicians or journalists refrain from this as I believe that they must not neglect the 40-year tearful efforts of global citizens, so many dedicated Korean grassroots animal rights groups, the leading animal rights groups mobilizing all the voices of the nation for the animals, the Democratic Party who took a bold step away from the past pattern of siding with the dog-meat consumption and the victim to the crimes conducted by [the Association]. Please do not forget that there have been so many people’s caring hearts, blood and tears to pass the Special Act. The Korean citizens like me can penetrate into any such attempt to clandestinely belittle the Special Act by calling it “the Kun-hee Kim Law” in order to gain political support of the rich dog-meat traders. Most of all, Korean politics must crack down on the radio wave crime of [the Association] so that the world does not have to experience the painful phenomena like the radio wave crime.