Korean Courts Deliver Lenient Animal Cruelty Sentences

In 2024 and through June 2025, South Korean courts have repeatedly issued light penalties for animal cruelty, often imposing fines rather than prison terms. An analysis of 171 rulings found 60 of 84 defendants charged with killing animals received fines and only four received prison sentences; formal indictments have hovered around five percent since 2022. Critics say sentencing guidelines introduced in July 2024 may entrench leniency.