South Korea

South Korea has long been known for its dog meat farms, but in January 2024 the National Assembly passed a law banning the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for meat from 2027, and most farms have already closed. Korean animal welfare groups rescue dogs from farms that are shutting down, run sterilisation and adoption programmes for stray dogs and cats, and campaign on animal testing, farm animal welfare and wildlife. Because Korean shelters are overcrowded, many dogs rescued from farms are flown to adopters in North America and Europe. Genuine Korean animal protection groups are usually registered as an incorporated association (sadan beobin) or foundation, and some are the Korean branches of international charities or are run with a registered non-profit overseas (for example a US 501(c)(3)) that handles adoptions abroad. Each organisation on Real Rescues has been checked against its official website and independent sources before being added.