Welcome to the official site of International Aid for Korean Animals (More..)

Welcome to the official web site for International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA). IAKA is a non-profit organization founded by Kyenan Kum in 1997 to promote animal protection and humane education in Korea. Since its inception Kyenan has tirelessly campaigned around the world, educating the international community about the difficult conditions for dogs and cats in Korea. A major victory for IAKA came in 2007 with the revision and strengthening of Korea’s 1991 Animal Protection law. IAKA had long campaigned and petitioned for its reform.


The Korea Animal Protection and Education Society (KAPES) was founded in late 2007 by Kyenan Kum and Haesun Park as a response to the newly strengthened Animal Protection law. The two activists realized that with stronger legal protections in place, direct protest of the government and of the meat trade would be less productive than eliminating the demand for dog and cat meat altogether through hands-on education.


This fall, IAKA/KAPES will open the new Adoption and Education Center in Seoul, South Korea. The first facility of its kind in the country, the center will provide Koreans with a place to learn about the humane treatment of animals and how to adopt and care for a cat or dog. For its 2010 ribbon cutting, we hope to hire a veterinary staff that will work at the center's onsite clinic. We hope that the center will instill in them a deep compassion for dogs and cats. With the new Animal Protection law in place, IAKA/KAPES seeks to work in partnership with the government to lead Korean society into a new era of enforcement and understanding.


  • IAKA US - We are registered as 501(c)3 status organization # 94-3255699 in the U.S. More information.
  • IAKA UK - We are registered as charity # 1115187 in the U.K. More information.
  • KAPES - We are registered as a foundation in South Korea. More information.

Letter from Kyenan Kum, IAKA Director

pawprintDear IAKA Members,

Though reasons for gratitude never cease, the holiday season especially gives us pause to consider everything for which we are grateful. First, we give thanks that we’re able to do the work we do; it is inexpressibly fulfilling to improve the lives of the many South Korean animals in need.

Next, as we consider the gift of giving aid, we remember all the people to whom we must give thanks for making our
work possible. This season, we give thanks for Film Producer Nelson Woss, whose new movie, Red Dog, will teach audiences the world over the value of human-animal friendships. We are grateful to the Seoul community members who have helped KAPES’ vet clinic gain footi ng. We are indebted to our partnering shelter in Daejeon for connecting us with distressed animal populati ons and helping us increase pet adoption rates. We are beyond thankful for our government and business partners—such as Mr. Moon-Gap Kim, the Hong-Ik University Music Café, and Shinhan Card Company—for sponsoring our programming and promoting our cause. And we are humbled by the selflessness of KAPES staff and volunteers: Haesun Park, Sang-Hoo Park, and Rosalyn Morrison.

Most of all we are grateful to you. Without you, we would not exist. So, thank you for your strength and support! Wishing you peace and joy during the holidays and beyond,


Kyenan Kum
IAKA & KAPES Founder pawprint

 

KAPES Educates Elementary School Students on Gapa Island

pawprintIn late November, Jeju-do’s chief of animal quarantine, Mr. Moon-Gap Kim, invited KAPES to lead animal awareness programming at a public Elementary school on Gapa Island (located 20 minutes south of Jeju-do by boat). Moon-Gap KAPES Director Sun-Woo Kwen Speaking to The ClassKim has been a long-time friend of IAKA and KAPES. Before he transferred to Jeju-do’s animal quarantine department, Mr. Kim served the Ministry of Agriculture, where he worked closely with Haesun Park and Kyenan Kum. In fact, his help was critical in establishing KAPES as a non-profit in Korea; he pushed for KAPES’ registration at a difficult time, when co-founder Kyenan Kum was blacklisted by the Korean government for protesting against the president.

Mr. Kim saw a special need for offering KAPES’ educational programming to the Gapa’s youth, because the island’s geographical isolation has deterred most other animal protection educators from visiting. In his current role as a Jeju-do province official, Mr. Kim was able to arrange for the local government to sponsor KAPES’ travel to the island.

Accompanied by Mr. Kim, KAPES Director Sun-Woon Kwen and volunteer Sang-Hoo Park spoke to Gapa Island students about proper pet care, animal neglect and cruelty, and the need for stronger animal protection law in South Korea. Visiting animal educators also brought a special guest: Gum-Gang, the brave narcotics dog. Mr. Kim showed the host school’s young students how Gum-Gang could trace any scent. The attentive class seemed very impressed by Gum-Gang’s talent, but they seemed even more impressed by their newly discovered responsibility toward animals.

 

Red Dog: An Aussie Film with a Profound Message

pawprint Early this September, Nelson Woss, an established Australian movie producer, reached out to IAKA and KAPES for help promoting his new film, Red Dog. In his email, he explained that with each international premiere he contacted local animal protection organizations to offer them the proceeds from screenings. His only request of partnering charities was that they spread the message of human-animal companionship portrayed in his film.

Upon viewing the film’s compelling trailer, we were more than happy to help. Based on real-life events, this touching movie tells the story of a red dog that makes his way to Dampier, an industrial port in Western Australia where “the work is hard” and “the men are tough.” There, Red Dog softens the hearts of the rough-and-tumble townspeople with his intelligence and friendship, reconnecting Dampier’s community members with their own humanity. The dog also unites with his true owner, a local bus driver named John Grant (played by Josh Lucas of Sweet Home Alabama), with whom he forms a profound lifelong friendship. All of the friendships Red Dog forms during the course of the story demonstrate the immense value of human-animal relationships, making powerful case for equality and respect among all the world’s living creatures.

To amplify this important message, IAKA/KAPES promoted Red Dog’s premiere in Asia at the 16th annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) with a month of online and print publicity. With our help, the film’s early October screening at BIFF played to a full house. Red Dog is currently up for a Jameson IF Award for the 2011 ceremony, and it will be released on DVD in December. To learn more about the film, visit the Red Dog website at www.reddogmovie.com.

Adoption and Education Center (AEC) Update

pawprintWhen we developed the plan for KAPES’ AEC, one of our hopes was that the center’s vet clinic wouldeventually become self-supporting through income from community clients. Of course, in the first months following the AEC’s opening, the clinic’s income came nowhere near meeting its initial expenses; the cost of purchasing and remodeling the building and hiring staff could not be met with the income from our few paying customers. But over time, we’ve gained a reputation in the community for our unique combination of veterinarian care and educational programming. Now, only a year after opening, the clinic is close to breaking even with its annual expenses.

Though our clientele is growing, we still haven’t completely reached equilibrium between the clinic’s income and expenses. In the future, we hope to meet not only the cost of staff salaries and mortgage interest, but also raise additional funds to expand our services at the center.

Money aside, the successes of our hard work are incredibly enriching. Three stories stood out this season as especially rewarding. As one of its many activities, KAPES helps locate lost pets by contacting local, government-sponsored animal control centers. AEC did just that for Mrs. Soon-Hee Hwang, who had been frantically searching for her lost poodle, Miso. By pounding the pavement and making phone calls, KAPES was able to locate Miso. When the dog and her owner were reunited at the AEC, Miso covered Mrs. Hwang’s face with kisses.

Another special story is that of Mrs. Song and her daughter, Jungun. Mrs. Song brought her daughter to AEC because she wanted to help Jungun get over her fear of dogs. To her Mrs. Song with her goal, AEC staff invited her and her daughter to spend time with the animals in the adoption room. At first, Jungun was tentative, but she was soon petting the dogs and giving them gentle hugs. Afterward, the mother-daughter pair adopted a sprightly mixed poodle named Apple. They also took part in a 30-minute course about pet owner responsibility.

Yet another animal education success story involved two young students, who came by to buy food for their puppy. As the girls were about to check out at the register, a KAPES staff member convinced them to stay for pet care education. In AEC’s classroom, the two young girls learned all about pet owner responsibilities: vaccinations, proper diet and grooming, and spaying/neutering. When the tutorial ended, the girls pledged to put their puppy on a vaccination program and have him neutered as soon as he reached the appropriate age.

With hopeful stories like these the center’s reputation can only grow. By word of mouth, AEC will soon be able to support its current programs and more.

 

Daejeon Shelter Partnership Flourishes, Dozens More Animals Saved

pawprintKAPES’ ongoing partnership with Jung-Soon Park’s Daejeon-based shelter continues to flourish, making the two organizations ever more efficient at rescuing animals and readying them for adoption. This fall, KAPES AEC staff visited the Daejeon shelter to give their rescued strays vaccinations, check-ups, and grooming services. Any animals at the shelter that were in need of medical services requiring hospitalization were temporarily moved to AEC in Seoul, then returned to the shelter once they’d received care.

The Daejeon shelter houses up to thirty cats and dogs at any given time, and KAPES AEC assists the shelter as new strays arrive. By giving these animals medical care and grooming services, KAPES significantly raises their chances of adoption. With our shared efforts, adoption rates from the Daejeon shelter are among the highest of all shelters in South Korea.

 

Lucy Lu: A Korean Dog Makes A New Life in America, written by Rosalyn Morrison

pawprintI had been dreading my return home from South Korea for a long time. I couldn’t imagine leaving without having completed all of my goals for animal protection. Too many strays still wandered the streets of Seoul, and too many still awaited slaughter at dog markets. My only consolation was that I’d saved at least one dog’s life, that of my precious Lucy Lu.

Before I knew it, my date of departure had arrived. Lucy was locked in a crate and placed on the plane. She handled the trip back to the States bravely, perhaps even braver than I. Lucy’s new life wasn’t easy at first, but she soon adjusted; rather, I should say we soon adjusted.

A month after our return home, I moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a career in animal protection. I was homeless and virtually penniless, so my generous brother and his girlfriend agreed to keep Lucy for me while I looked for work and an apartment in D.C. At first, I was hesitant to leave Lucy with my brother because he and his girlfriend had their own dog, Mowgli. Thankfully, Lucy Lu and Mowgli fell utterly in love with each other.

The unlikely friendship between Lulu and Mowgli wasn’t the only piece of luck that befell me. Just a week after I started as an intern at Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), I was offered a job as a Wildlife and Legislative Research Assistant. My two years of animal advocacy in South Korea gave me the experience that I needed for my new position. Thanks to the opportunities offered to me though KAPES, I now have my dream job, working to protect the animals of the world.

With a steady job and a pet-friendly apartment, I’m finally able to bring Lulu to D.C. with me. While I lived in Korea, Lulu served as an Ambassador Dog, showing the public that Neurongi make wonderful pets. With my current position at AWI, Lulu will once again take up her ambassadorial duties. I’m proud to campaign for Korean animals in the political capital of America with Lucy Lu at my side.

Our delightful new greeting cards are here!

IAKA Greeting Cards

Support IAKA and Korea's companion animals by purchasing these stunning full-color, folded greeting cards. All cards are blank inside and include envelopes, so they're perfect for personal use or as gifts. To learn more, visit our greeting cards page here.