Minister of Justice Sung Ho Jung to Resume Push for Civil Act Amendment Designating Animals as Non-Objects

"Firm Stance Against Animal Cruelty Crimes"

Minister of Justice Sung Ho Jung is taking a firm stance against animal cruelty crimes and is moving forward with amendments to the Civil Act to elevate the legal status of animals.

Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the legal community on April 13, Minister Jung stated via his personal social media account the previous day that the recent "BB gun shooting at a companion dog" case prosecuted by the prosecution is "a barbaric and cruel crime of animal abuse that requires a strict response."

He continued, "The Ministry of Justice will respond firmly to animal cruelty crimes and will work to raise social awareness of animal rights," adding, "We will once again push for the amendment to the Civil Act that would designate animals as non-objects, an effort that the Ministry of Justice actively pursued in 2021 and which both ruling and opposition parties agreed upon but was not realized, this time seeking national consensus."

Previously, the Dongbu Branch of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office recently indicted two suspects in the BB gun shooting case involving a companion dog on charges including animal abuse, violation of the Firearms Control Act, and aggravated trespassing. Among the defendants, one, who was an active-duty Marine, is undergoing a military trial.

Minister Jung stated, "The suspects committed the crime by trespassing into a restaurant without permission and indiscriminately firing hundreds of BB pellets at four companion dogs tied up in the yard for about an hour," and added, "One of the dogs, named Maehwa, suffered a permanent disability requiring the removal of its left eyeball."

He further emphasized, "Neglecting animal abuse is tantamount to abandoning our own safety and the well-being of our community," and said, "The Ministry of Justice will strive to create a society that respects not only human rights but also the lives that coexist with us."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.