Over 520,000 dogs are being raised for meat in South Korea as of this February, with about 388,000 slaughtered a year, a study revealed Monday.

There are a total of 1,156 dog farms across the country and they each keep an average of 450 animals. The total number of restaurants serving dog meat across the country is 1,666.

These are the findings of a two-month field study conducted by the country’s government-civilian consultative body on dog meat consumption, which was announced Monday.

The panel also revealed the results of its public opinion survey, conducted in May on 1,514 adults here. A total of 55.8 percent said Korea should stop eating dog meat. Some 28.4 percent of the respondents said the practice should be preserved.

A slight majority of the people, 52.7 percent, disagreed with legalizing dog meat trade, which currently stands in a legal grey area. Close to 40 percent agreed.

Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said they don’t eat dog meat.

The dog meat task force, comprised of 21 members, was launched in December to come up with policy recommendations on dog meat consumption in order for the government to take measures to deliver them, including related law revisions.

Its operations, originally set to end in April, have been extended for further discussions on the sensitive issue.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)