At least 14 dog meat restaurant owners in Daejeon have filed administrative lawsuits against local district heads, seeking to overturn decisions denying them additional compensation for business losses ahead of South Korea's dog meat ban. The lawsuits were filed across four of Daejeon's five districts: six in Daedeok on July 24, four in Yuseong, three in Dong and one in Jung. The cases are before the first and second administrative divisions of the Daejeon District Court. Under the government plan, businesses can receive up to 4 million won ($2,870) in closure assistance for dismantling stores and restoring premises, or up to 2.5 million won for switching to other food businesses. Owners argue that one-time assistance does not compensate them for abandoning livelihoods built over decades and are seeking separately calculated payments for business losses. Local governments reject the demand, saying the special law contains no explicit requirement for such compensation and that public funds cannot be spent beyond its rules. The three-year grace period under the law enacted in February 2024 ends on Feb. 7, 2027, when raising, slaughtering, distributing and selling dogs for human consumption will be prohibited and violations will carry severe criminal penalties. The dispute is expected to be settled in court as animal-rights concerns collide with small-business livelihood protections.