Animals could soon be “living creatures” under the law in South Korea.
South Korea’s main opposition party will revise the civil law to define animals as “living creatures” if it wins the country’s legislative elections in April, according to The Korea Times.
The Democratic Party of Korea has pledged to change the legal definition of animals from “property” to “living creatures.” In most legal systems around the world, animals are still seen as “things.”
The party has vowed a ban on operating a “factory-like” breeding facility in the country. It has also pledged to expand research into alternatives to animal testing.
Hong Ihk-pyo, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, reportedly set out his party’s position at a recent media conference:
He said his party “believes a society where animal rights are protected well is also good for human rights.”
Currently, animals are legally “property” under the law in most countries. This means that they have no rights of their own. Some limited “protections” do exist in some countries, but these fall far short of full rights.