Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (left) and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (right) greet voters during campaign rallies in Incheon and Goyang, respectively, on Wednesday. (Yonhap / Combined by The Korea Herald)
Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (left) and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (right) greet voters during campaign rallies in Incheon and Goyang, respectively, on Wednesday. (Yonhap / Combined by The Korea Herald)

The top two presidential candidates on Wednesday rolled out pet-friendly policy pledges, including reducing pet care expenses and creating a more favorable environment for pet ownership.

The liberal Democratic Party’s contender Lee Jae-myung pledged to “enact the Basic Animal Welfare Act and push for the establishment of the Animal Welfare Promotion Agency."

Lee also promised to “prevent abuse and abandonment while promoting a healthy culture of pet ownership." Lee notably proposed introducing a so-called “pet ownership ban,” which would prohibit animal abusers from keeping animals for a certain period of time.

Both Lee and the People Power Party’s candidate Kim Moon-soo vowed to ease the financial burden of raising companion animals. Both contenders pledged to introduce a standardized fee system and promote a pet insurance system.

Kim additionally pledged to expand the currently limited disclosure requirements to cover all medical procedures provided by veterinary clinics, aiming to reduce cost uncertainty and promote price competition.

Kim also outlined plans to increase pet-friendly facilities, including expanding pet parks and pet-friendly cafes, as well as increasing the number of pet boarding facilities to ease concerns for pet-owning households during extended absences.

Kim committed to fostering and supporting pet-related industries to create jobs and revitalize local economies.


dagyumji@heraldcorp.com