South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that there may be a need to ban the consumption of dog meat, citing the ongoing discussion over the contentious practice and increased awareness of animal rights.
Moon made the statements after Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum informed him of efforts to improve the treatment of abandoned animals and the implementation of a mandatory dog registration system.
"Hasn't the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?" Moon told Prime Minister Kim during their weekly policy consultation session, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
Dog meat is offered in select restaurants and may be purchased at specific markets, but it is no longer as popular as it once was.
Moon's announcement was the first of its kind, and it's expected to reignite discussion over whether the practice should be banned.
Several presidential candidates have committed to banning dog meat in recent weeks in order to improve their popularity, especially as dogs have become popular as pets, and advocacy groups have asked South Korea to close down restaurants and marketplaces selling dog meat.
Lee Jae-myung, the governor of the country's most populated province of Gyeonggi and a leading presidential candidate from Moon's party, has pledged to campaign for a ban through social consensus.
However, Yoon Seok-youl, the opposition's frontrunner, has said that it is a question of personal preference.
In a poll commissioned by the animal advocacy organization Aware and released this month, 78% of respondents said the production and sale of dog and cat meat should be outlawed, while 49% supported a consumption ban.
However, a survey conducted by the polling firm Realmeter indicated that people were split on whether the government should prohibit the consumption of dog meat, with 59% supporting legal limitations on dog killing for human consumption.
In a brief press statement, the spokeswoman provided no other specifics on Moon's remarks.
Although an increasing number of South Koreans have dogs in their homes, some dog breeds are still raised for food on dog farms.
Moon is well-known for his fondness of dogs, and he keeps a number of them in the presidential estate.
The Animal Protection Law in South Korea was enacted to outlaw the cruel slaughter of dogs and cats, but not dog consumption.
