Petition: https://chng.it/qJGrkHfB

Video: Urgent Action Alert! Forest fire in Uljin burns dogs imprisoned in dog meat farms. https://koreandogs.org/uljin-fire/

To the Hyundai Motor Group,

I am sure your corporation knows the notorious and callous dog meat trade in your country, South Korea, the only country worldwide that commercially farms dogs to supply the nation’s demand.

The brutalization of these poor dogs and cats is appalling. Thousands of farms - ranging in size from small backyard enterprises to huge farms - house thousands of dogs. These dogs are kept in pitiful conditions, raised in tiny, filthy, barren cages, with no reprieve from hunger or fear. The suffering these dogs experience daily is immense.

The dedicated, caring people of South Korea have been asking their Government to ban this atrocity for many years, but the Government has yet to take a leadership role in this matter. It is hard to believe, in the twenty-first century, that a civilized nation such as South Korea, one of the major economic world powers and boasts one of the highest educational levels in the world, is still committing this unacceptable and despicable cruelty.

If South Korea wants to join civilized nations around the world, and be respected as a nation of conscience, then it needs to strengthen and enforce its animal protection laws and ban the consumption of dog and cat meat once and for all. It is also the moral duty of companies, such as the Hyundai Motor Group, to urge the South Korean Government to do exactly that.

The dog meat trade is a two-billion-dollar industry. However, South Korea could stand to lose considerably more in export revenue, loss of goodwill, and its positive image within the international community if this appalling industry is not stopped. 

Mr. Chung Mon Koo, CEO of Hyundai  Motor Company, states in his introduction to the Hyundai Motor Company's 'White Paper' that "Hyundai will be a company trusted by customers and beloved by the community and practice the social responsibility as a global corporate citizen."

Fulfilling the role of a ‘corporate citizen’ also means caring for your country's voiceless and small creatures. You should extend your ‘social responsibility’ towards all animals - especially those suffering from the dog and cat meat trade.

Your company is one of the largest in South Korea, and it has the power to change this tragic and cruel situation, but it is doing nothing to stop this horrendous industry. Your profound indifference to these dogs' plight and immense suffering is shameful. How can a company with so much power, influence, and money, do nothing about this barbarism while at the same time promoting ethical responsibility? 

Many people worldwide will either continue or decline to support your corporation based on how you decide to act about the animal rights and welfare issues in your country because of their love of dogs. Do you want your product image to suffer?

You also state that your corporate symbol expresses your "desire to race towards a wider world and a brighter future together with local communities."  Therefore, we implore you to "race towards" a world that embraces kindness and respect for all animals - particularly the dogs and cats of South Korea.