South Korea May Side With Dogs Over Tradition

South Korea's president is a dog guy, and he wants the country to follow suit. Moon Jae-in said Monday the government should consider banning the consumption of dog meat, reports Bloomberg. "Hasn't the time come?" Moon asked during a weekly briefing with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, per AFP. Both stories note the practice is a traditional one in the country, with an estimated 1 million dogs eaten each year. However, it's also growing increasingly out of favor, particularly among the younger generation. The AFP story goes so far as to say it's becoming an "international embarrassment."

Moon's statement also comes amid a rise in pet ownership in the country. The president has multiple dogs himself, and he adopted another after taking office, making it the first rescue dog to live in the nation's Blue House. Yonhap News Agency talks to the rep for a group of dog farmers, who argues that dogs raised for meat are "completely distinctive breeds raised in a different environment compared to pets." But while the topic is "one of the most disputed issues in South Korea," per Yonhap, it appears the the president's view now represents the majority. It's possible new measures to protect dogs will be rolled out as early as Thursday. (More South Korea stories.)