No, South Korea Does NOT Ban Dogs With Long Tails

South Korea has a genuinely complex and evolving body of dog-related legislation, which may be fertile ground for myths like this one to take root. The country's primary animal welfare framework is the Animal Protection Act, first passed in 1991 and significantly amended in 2007 and 2017. Real laws involving dogs and permits do exist: since April 2024, owners of five specific 'aggressive' breeds — American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tosa (Japanese Mastiff), and Rottweiler — must obtain a permit from regional government to keep those dogs, and must have them neutered and insured. Additionally, since February 2022, a very real regulation under the Animal Protection Act Enforcement Rules limits dog leash and harness length to no more than 2 meters when outside. This leash length law attracted wide international media coverage and may have been the seed of the 'tail length' myth — someone may have misread or misremembered 'leash' as 'tail.' South Korea also requires mandatory registration of dogs and cats within 30 days of ownership, and ID tags and leashes are required in public spaces. The country made international headlines in January 2024 when its National Assembly unanimously passed a law banning the dog meat industry, effective 2027. None of these real, notable laws have anything to do with the length of a dog's tail.