Amidst heightened interest in animal welfare in South Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will strengthen the punishment for cruelty to animals.

The ministry says those caught abusing an animal to death will be jailed for up to three years and face a maximum fine of 30 million won. This is up from the current punishment guidelines of two years in prison and a maximum 20 million won in fines.

The move comes only a year after the ministry revised a related law to strengthen the punishment for animal cruelty from a maximum one year in prison and ten million won in fines.

The revision also expanded the definition of animal abusers to include those selling abandoned or lost animals or catching them to kill. According to the ministry, the number of abandoned or lost animals jumped from 82-thousand in 2015 to 102-thousand in 2017.