A seminar is scheduled for September 9, focusing on the persistent issues of animal experiences in zoos despite recent legislative efforts aimed at improving animal welfare. The event is co-hosted by the animal welfare research institute 'Aware' and National Assembly Vice Chairman Lee Hak-young, along with the animal welfare parliamentary forum. Attendees will analyze the effects of the amendments made to the Animal Zoo and Aquarium Management Act and the Wildlife Protection and Management Act introduced in 2022, which aimed to enhance animal welfare standards but have fallen short in practical improvements.

Despite the enforcement of the Animal Zoo and Aquarium Management Act in December 2023, which prohibits unnecessary suffering, fear, or stress to animals for entertainment purposes, exceptions allow for educational activities utilizing animals. This gap between the main law and its subordinate regulations continues to present challenges in ensuring animal welfare in zoos. Furthermore, although the law strengthens zoo registration into a permit system and introduces a zoo auditor system, the lack of effective management and oversight by the government and local authorities remains a significant hurdle in realizing genuine improvements in animal welfare practices.

Key speakers will include Aware's representative Lee Hyung-joo, who will present findings from a survey of 21 zoos in South Korea regarding their animal experience activities, and Kim Young-jun from the National Ecology Institute, discussing the major contents of the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment's second comprehensive management plan for zoos. Various experts and stakeholders from the field will participate in discussions to find viable solutions for enhancing animal welfare in zoos, raising the question of how laws are applied in practice and whether they are sufficient to protect the animals' rights and well-being.