Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum pledged to form a civilian-centered consultative body to reach a social consensus on whether to ban dog meat consumption.

At a government policy coordination meeting on Thursday, Kim urged related ministries to determine the facts and sufficiently gather public opinions regarding the practice. He also called for fairness and transparency.

Stating that the controversy has persisted since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Kim said there has been an increasing social call to reevaluate old food culture amid a rising number of households with pets and growing public awareness of animal rights and welfare.

In September, President Moon Jae-in raised the need to carefully consider banning dog meat consumption during a meeting with the prime minister.