The Rise of Goat Meat in South Korea
On the evening of the 26th of last month, the “Black Goat Street” near the entrance of Moran Market in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, was alive with activity. This alley, lined with over 10 signs for black goat soup and hot pot specialty restaurants, attracted a steady stream of middle-aged and elderly customers. Even office workers in their 40s could be seen lining up after work to visit these black goat restaurants.
Mr. Song, an office worker, shared his experience: “Whenever I feel my energy dropping, I come here with colleagues.” He added, “As social perceptions of dog meat have worsened due to the Dog Meat Ban Act, I mainly eat goat soup these days.”
Kim Yong-bok, 68, head of a merchants’ association who has run a black goat soup restaurant in this alley for 30 years, noted a significant shift in customer preferences. “Until three years ago, 8–9 out of 10 customers ordered dog meat soup, and only 1–2 chose goat soup, but now it’s completely reversed,” he said. Kim added that during summer holidays, weekends, or market days, they sometimes sell over 200 bowls a day.
Lee Mo, 71, who has sold health foods here for over 30 years, removed dog meat soup from the menu after last year’s final summer holiday. Lee explained, “Although the dog meat consumption ban starts in February next year, I judged that the restaurant could operate solely on goat soup.”
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, domestic goat meat consumption increased from 6,328 tons in 2020 to 13,708 tons in 2024—more than doubling. This reflects the growing preference for goat meat as a health food to replace dog meat soup after the enactment of the Dog Meat Consumption Termination Act in January 2024.
Illegal Slaughtering and Consumer Safety
While consumption has surged, the management system covering production, slaughter, and distribution of goat meat remains in its early stages. A significant portion bypasses slaughterhouses, and low farm registration rates have created structural vulnerabilities in hygiene, traceability, and origin management.
Government estimates suggest 43.1% of goat meat is illegally distributed without passing through slaughterhouses. Among 11,474 goat farms nationwide, 62% remain unregistered.
Illegal slaughtering directly impacts food safety. Registered slaughterhouses conduct hygiene checks and residue tests before and after slaughtering, but these steps are skipped in illegal cases.
In October of last year, a case was discovered in which a slaughterhouse was illegally operated in a container on a mountainside in Seogwipo, Jeju. Police investigations revealed unsanitary conditions with rusty equipment, animal hair, and byproducts mixed together. Sick or weak animals were also slaughtered and processed without inspection.
Professor Cho Ho-sung of Jeonbuk National University said, “If violations were limited, self-regulation among farmers might work, but when nearly half are involved in illegal slaughtering, the perception of ‘why should I comply alone?’ makes management even harder.” He added, “Without clear slaughtering and distribution routes, hygiene management and disease tracking become difficult, and ultimately, consumers bear the harm.”
Exploiting the weak management system, imported goat meat is rapidly encroaching on the domestic market. In 2024, imports from Australia and New Zealand reached 8,143 tons, a sevenfold increase from 1,161 tons in 2020. Domestic production grew only 7.7% during the same period, from 5,167 tons to 5,565 tons. The self-sufficiency rate for goat meat plummeted from 81.7% in 2020 to 40.6% in 2024.
A black goat restaurant owner in Moran Market, Mr. A, said, “Most restaurants here use imported meat,” explaining, “Domestic goats are relatively expensive and often have a strong odor, so they’re mainly used for making broth rather than soup.”
Government Initiatives to Formalize the Industry
Goat farms are required to register as livestock breeding businesses with local governments under the Livestock Industry Act. However, farmers see little incentive to register. A source from a goat farm said, “Even if a farm is unregistered, registered distributors can purchase the goats and take them to legal slaughterhouses, so distribution isn’t an issue.”
Limited access to slaughterhouses is another barrier. Some regional farmers must travel hours to slaughterhouses and incur additional costs for refrigerated transport. A source from the Black Goat Association said, “Areas near slaughterhouses, like South Jeolla Province, are better off, but parts of Gangwon and Gyeongsang regions have no choice but to rely on illegal methods.”
The government plans to revitalize the domestic goat meat market by formalizing the industry. It aims to inspect farms raising over 100 goats by the end of the year, analyze reasons for non-registration, and develop measures to encourage registration. A traceability system, assigning individual identification numbers to goats—similar to cattle and pigs—is also being considered to track the entire process from breeding to distribution and sales.
Experts warn that strengthening regulations alone could provoke backlash. Professor Cho said, “The goat industry lacks the institutional, statistical, and self-funding foundations that cattle and pigs have built over 20–30 years.” He added, “Without incentives for farmers after registration, voluntary participation will be difficult to expect.”
