South Korea Dogfighting & Associated Betting Rings Making a Comeback

Illegal dogfighting is making a rapid comeback in South Korea, a new report has claimed, with associated gambling rings now “rampant” throughout South Gyeongsang Province.

The South Korean broadcaster KNN reported that dogfighting rings “seemed to have subsided for a while.” But with crackdowns now “lax,” illegal dogfighting is “resurfacing” in the province.

Jeong Seo-yeon, a member of the NGO Animal Protection Group, told the broadcaster: “Illegal dogfighting crackdowns require police to catch offenders red-handed – while they are actively committing illegal actions.”

She added: “Dogfighting rings gather in groups, then quickly disband and move again. That makes detection extremely difficult.”

This type of dogfighting “has been spreading like wildfire throughout the province this year,” the broadcaster claimed.

The media outlet claimed that an illegal dogfighting ring was unearthed in the city of Miryang, but gamblers quickly fled the scene when police arrived.

Gamblers’ awareness of policing methods makes many crackdown efforts “ineffective,” KNN said.

South Korea Dogfighting: On the Rise in South Gyeongsang Province

The broadcaster visited a suspected dogfighting breeding center, capturing video footage of pitbulls and other “violent” dogs. It also photographed what it said was a makeshift fighting arena.

Jeong said that her group tipped off police about the center. But its operators allegedly fled the scene before the film crew arrived, abandoning the animals. Some were tied up, while others were left languishing in cages.

KNN said that following its investigation, police shut down three suspected “dogfighting farms” in the city of Jinju.

Police Take a ‘Passive’ Stance

However, the broadcaster said that local government organs and police forces tend to “take a passive approach” to dogfighting-related reports.

An anonymous local government official told KNN that officers only tend to act when they see “video footage of dogfighting and confirm the presence of injured dogs.”

The broadcaster lamented: “It is a pity that local governments and police are not making a concerted effort to eradicate dogfighting and gambling in the province.”

In August, a petition to ban traditional forms of bullfighting in South Korea gathered over 52,000 signatures.

The National Campaign to Abolish Animal Abuse and Bullfighting, a coalition of animal rights groups, has called on the National Assembly to issue a ban on the sport, as well as associated betting.

A handful of South Korean towns still allow bullfighting and bets on the outcome of fights at traditional arenas.