Nearly 80 percent of dog meat farms in Korea have closed as of this month, revealing the fast pace of shutdowns ahead of the government’s plan to begin penalizing violators in February 2027. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 125 dog meat farms shut down between Aug. 7 and Dec. 21 this year, while the number of dogs bred for consumption declined by 47,544 during the same period. As a result, 1,204 of the 1,537 registered farms, or 78 percent, have now closed since the Special Act on the Termination of Breeding, Slaughter and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption was enacted in February last year. The figures are higher than the government’s goal for the period, which aimed to close 58 farms and reduce the number of dogs by 26,000. When the law was introduced, the government provided a three-year grace period to encourage farms to voluntarily shut down. The law took effect in August last year and the government has been offering subsidies and consulting support for those closing their operations or switching to other types of farming. When the grace period