SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) - South Korea's parliament on Tuesday passed a special bill to ban dog meat trade and consumption in the Asian country.

The bill would outlaw the slaughtering and breeding of dogs for their meat as well as the sale and distribution of dog meat for human consumption.

Violators could be punished with up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (about 22,800 U.S. dollars).

The legislation will become law after it is approved by the cabinet and signed by the president, and the law will take effect after three years of a grace period.

Photo from Reuters