Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice said animal cruelty crimes must be dealt with sternly in connection with the so-called "BB gun abuse of a companion dog" case being sent to trial. The point is that condoning animal abuse harms community safety.
The Minister said on the 12th on social media (SNS), "Prosecutors must continue to crack down on such barbaric and cruel animal abuse crimes," adding, "The Ministry of Justice will also respond strictly to animal cruelty crimes and raise social awareness of animal rights."
The remarks came after two men in their 20s were recently indicted without detention on charges of firing hundreds of BB pellets at four companion dogs at a restaurant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, last year. One Marine who committed the crime with them at the time has already been sent to a court-martial. It was reported that one of the victim companion dogs was seriously injured enough to undergo an eye removal surgery.
The Minister said, "It is hard to expect respect for humans from those who disdain and abuse life," and "Leaving animal abuse unattended is like giving up our safety and the well-being of the community."
The Ministry of Justice also plans to resume pushing for an amendment to the Civil Act that changes the legal status of animals. The current Civil Act regards animals as property. The government introduced a Civil Act amendment in 2021 to make animals non-property, but it was discarded when the 21st National Assembly's term expired. The Minister said, "We will resume promoting the Civil Act amendment to make animals non-property after reaching a national consensus."