Click here for the latest update and call for action: http://koreandogs.org/busan-bukbu-office-of-educations/

Busan Buk-gu District – Shut down the Gupo Dog Meat Market in the “School Cleanup Zone”!

The Busan Gupo Dog Meat Market is within the boundaries of the “School Environment, Hygiene, Cleanup Zone” specified in the School Health Act as evidenced in this Busan News article: Dispute over the Gupo Livestock Market’s violation of the School Health Act. (http://koreandogs.org/dispute-over-the-gupo-livestock-markets-violation-of-the-school-health-act/  However, the Busan Buk-gu District office refuses to shut it down, claiming that the School Health Act does not apply to the Gupo Dog Meat Market. 

The officials in the Busan Buk-gu District put the interests of dog butchers/shops before the education of their young children.  Imagine allowing your children to grow up hearing the screams of the meat dogs and seeing them writhe in agony, being brutally slaughtered right in front of their young eyes. It will either traumatize these children for life or make them immune to the suffering of animals, turning them into the next generation of animal abusers. This is despicable and it must be stopped. 

In the years  2014 through 2015, in response to the Busan Bukgu District’s disregard for the law, we launched a campaign of letter- writing directed towards the Korean Minister of Education and Minister of Health & Welfare. We requested statements on their official position regarding the actions of the Busan Bukgu District Office with regard to the Gupo Dog Meat Market.  However, we did not receive any responses from the Ministry of Health & Welfare and Ministry of Education.  It has now been 3 years and  there are new ministers in office, so we would like to re-launch our campaign.  We hope with the new  leadership in place in Korea, we will have a chance to get the attention of their government.  Please sign and share our petition, and also send a petition letter (use your own words or our petition as a suggested letter).  We must not give up on these dogs. 

Click here to learn more: http://koreandogs.org/busan-bukgu-gupo/

[Petition Letter] 

Minister Park Neung-Hoo, Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Minister Kim Sang-Kon, Ministry of Education, South Korea

Shut down the Busan Gupo Dog Meat Market located within the “School Environment, Hygiene, Cleanup Zone”.

Back in November of 2014, the Busan Buk-gu District Office issued their response to a civil complaint filed by the Busan Korea Alliance for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Busan KAPCA) regarding the violation of School Health Act at the Gupo Dog Meat Market. (http://koreandogs.org/busan-buk-gu-district-response/)

It was the opinion of the Busan Buk-gu District Office that Article 6, Paragraph 1, Subparagraphs 1, 5, 7, 8 and 11 of the School Health Act do not apply to the Gupo Dog Meat Market and that the Gupo Dog Meat Market is not subject to administrative action or removal. This opinion was issued by the Busan Buk-gu District Office without comment as to why the above provisions of the School Health Act are not applicable.

The Gupo Dog Meat Market is clearly within the boundary of the “School Environment, Hygiene, Cleanup Zone” specified in the School Health Act as evidenced by this Busan News article: Dispute over the Gupo Livestock Market’s violation of the School Health Act. (http://koreandogs.org/dispute-over-the-gupo-livestock-markets-violation-of-the-school-health-act/)

The current conditions at the Gupo Dog Meat Market, as evidenced by many media available online and provided by the Busan KAPCA to the Busan Buk-gu District Office, clearly show that the Gupo Dog Meat Market is not being operated under healthful conditions and therefore is in violation of your stated policy.

It appears that the officials in the Busan Buk-gu District put the interest of dog butchers/shops before the education of their young children. Please imagine letting your kids grow up hearing the screaming of the meat dogs and seeing them writhe in agony, being brutally slaughtered right in front of their young eyes. It will either traumatize these children for life or make them immune to the suffering of animals, turning them into the next generation of animal abusers.

We are, therefore, respectfully requesting that the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Education issue a position with respect to the decision of the Busan Buk-gu District Office regarding the Gupo Dog Meat Market.

지난 2014년 11월 부산동물학대방지연합은 구포 개시장의 학교보건법 위반과 관련하여 민원을 접수 했습니다. 이에 대해 부산광역시 북구청으로부터 회신을 받았습니다. 회신에 따르면 구포 개시장은 학교보건법 제6조 제1항의 1호, 5호, 7호, 8호, 11호에 해당되지 않기 때문에 행정조치 및 철거 명령의 대상이 되지 않는다고 되어있습니다. 하지만 어떤 근거로 학교보건법이 적용되지 않는다고 하는지에 대한 언급은 전혀 없습니다.

부산일보의 한 기사 내용을 보면 아시겠지만 구포 개시장은 학교보건법에 구체적으로 명시된 “학교환경위생정화구역”에 해당하는 것이 확실합니다. 구포가축시장, 학교보건법 저촉 논란 (http://news20.busan.com/controller/newsController.jsp?newsId=20140506000116#none)

온라인상의 많은 미디어를 통해서 또 부산동물학대방지연합이 북구청에 제공한 자료들을 통해서 이미 입증되었다시피 현재 구포 개시장은 전혀 위생적으로 운영되고 있지 않습니다.

부산 북구청의 공무원들은 어린 학생들의 교육보다는 개도살상인들의 이익을을 우선시하는 것 같습니다. 장관님의 자녀가 식용개들이 지르는 비명을 듣고, 잔인하게 도살되면서 고통에 몸부림치는 모습을 눈앞에서 바로 보면서 자란다고 상상해 보십시오. 아이들은 평생 정신적충격의 고통속에서 살게 되거나 또는 동물의 고통에 무감각해져서 다음 세대의 동물학대자들이 될 것입니다.

따라서 구포 개시장에 대한 부산 북구청의 결정에 대하여 보건복지부와 교육부가 나서서 입장을 피력해 주시기를 간절히 요청 드리는 바입니다.