'Our family is property?' Debate over reclassifying animals under civil law gains momentum

A forum on amending the civil code — which currently classifies animals as objects — opened Thursday, in line with growing public awareness of companion animal culture.

The Ministry of Justice held the forum on legislative issues surrounding the reclassification of animals as non-objects at Veritas Hall in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The forum was organized to broaden public consensus on animal protection and respect for life, and to explore ways to improve related legislation, including amendments to the civil code.

Presentations and discussions covered the current state of animal-related legislation and directions for reform, the need for a civil code amendment to reclassify animals as non-objects, and the treatment of pets during seizure proceedings.

Lee Gye-jeong, a professor at Seoul National University's School of Law, said scientific research has confirmed that animals possess self-awareness and emotions, and argued that legislation should reflect the harmonious coexistence of humans and animals.

However, Lee cautioned that abrupt changes — such as granting animals legal standing or rights in areas like litigation and inheritance — could destabilize the legal system. He said it would be preferable to first focus reforms on strengthening animal protection.

Lee said the civil code amendment would also affect judicial practice. He noted that South Korean judges have relatively broad latitude in shaping the law, and that in the absence of adequate legislation, judges handling animal-related cases have been filling the gaps through their own legal reasoning.

He added that a civil code amendment establishing that animals are not objects "would not be a mere symbolic provision, but would function as a substantive norm shaping judicial standards."

According to the Ministry of Justice, a poll of 1,000 adults aged 18 and older nationwide found that 87.8 percent of respondents said animals should be distinguished from objects under the civil code.

The ministry had announced a proposed civil code amendment in 2021 to remove animals from the category of objects, but the bill lapsed when the National Assembly's term expired without proper deliberation. The ministry said it will continue reviewing ways to incorporate opinions gathered at the forum into the legal system.