South Korea is planning to ban eating dog meat and end the controversy surrounding the centuries-old custom, a ruling party official said Friday. The consumption of dog meat is not explicitly outlawed or legalized in the country, but the practice has persisted despite increasing opposition from younger South Koreans. “We are planning to enact a Special Act to ban dog meat within this year to address this issue as soon as possible,” Yu Eui-dong, policy chief of the ruling People Power Party, said at a meeting with government officials and animal rights campaigners. The act would allow a three-year period for the dog meat industry to be phased out, meaning a full ban could come into effect by 2027 if the bill is passed before the end of the year. A 2022 government study found that more than half a million dogs were being raised for meat in the country.