At the beginning of July, TIR welcomed a group of South Korean government representatives from various ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, MAFRA) and the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS) to its office in Zurich. Also present were delegates from the Department of Animal Welfare, two veterinarians from the VIP Animal Medical Center Seoul and a representative from the Integrated Animal Medicine Digital Transformation (IAMDT).

In an input presentation, TIR lawyer Caroline Mulle familiarised the South Korean guests with the concept and specifics of Swiss animal protection law. The focus was on the enforcement of animal protection law and the legal training requirements for handling animals.

The delegation was also introduced to various TIR projects such as the criminal case database, the legal information service as well as trainings for animal keepers and the general working methods of TIR. This was followed by an informative exchange. TIR is very pleased with the fruitful meeting and hopes to contribute to the efforts to improve animal welfare law in the Republic of Korea.

As a follow-up, TIR received positive news: South Korea has decided to ban the breeding and slaughter of dogs for human consumption. Dog meat farms, dog slaughterhouses and the sale of dog meat are to be banned throughout the Republic. Efforts are being made to introduce compulsory courses for dog owners.