BBC: Dog Meat Ban

Today we're diving into a story from South Korea- a country that's just taken a huge step by banning the sale of dog meat. 

This change is about more than just food laws. It's affecting farmers, animal rights groups, and hundreds of thousands of dogs across the country. 

We'll explore what's happening, why it's controversial, and of course we'll learn some useful English vocabulary along the way. 

But first- today's quiz question. Just one question for you to think about while you listen. 

What does "grace period" mean?

a) A time when you must work harder than usual. 

b) Extra time allowed before a new rule is fully enforced. 

c) A special holiday for celebrating an event.

d) The period after an animal is rescure. 

We'll give you the answer at the end, so stay tuned. 

Let's start with the basics- South Korea's government has passed a ban on selling dog meat. 

A ban means something is officially made illegal- it's not allowed by law. In this case, the rule means no one will be able to sell dog meat for people to eat. 

The law was passed in early 2024, and farmers have until 2027 to close their businesses and sell off their remaining dogs. That's called a grace period- extra time before the law is fully enforced. 

But many farmers say that's not long enough. For some, raising dogs for meat has been their livelihood for decades. 

One farmer, Reverend Joo, says he's been trying to sell his dogs since last summer- but traders just won't buy. "Not a single one has shown up." he says. 

That brings us to our second vocabulary phrase- phase out. To phase something out means to end it slowly, stepy by step. Farmers say they need more time to phase out the industry, rather than stopping so suddenly. 

There's alos a financial risk. If farmers don't meat the deadlines, they could face a penalty- a punishment for breaking a rule. In this case, up to two years in prison. 

One farmer, who didn't want to give his real name, said he has 600 dogs to sell in just 18 months. He's invested all his money into the farm, and now no one wants the dogs- not traders, not even animal rights groups. 

Even though activists pushed for the ban, they're now struggling to work out what to do with the leftover dogs- possibly half a million of them. 

And there's another problem- stigma. That's our fourth word. A stigma is a negative label or judgement that people put on something. In this case, some people are nervous about adopting dogs from meat farms, worrying about disease or behaviour problems. 

Most of the dogs are large breeds, but in South Korea, where many people live in small apartments, smaller dogs are more popular. 

Rescue shelters are already full, so some dogs may be enthanised- another word to learn today. Euthanising means ending an animal's life in a painless way, often because there's no way to care for it. 

Animal rights groups say they'll try to rescue as many as they can, but they admit some will be left behind.