Kim Basinger Makes Rare Appearance at Animal Protection Act Press Conference in South Korea

Kim Basinger made a rare public appearance Thursday by attending the Animal Protection Act press conference in Seoul, South Korea. The Oscar-winning actress joined peaceful protests there to call for the end to the country's dog meat industry Friday.

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A post shared by Kim Basinger (@kim.basinger) on Jul 10, 2019 at 9:54pm PDT

Following the press conference, Basinger shared a photo with South Korean Congressman Pyo Chang-won, who has been trying to pass the Animal Protection Act.

"Such an honor to meet congressman @changwonpyo from #skorea .. a great man trying to make a difference to stop the suffering of our planets best friends.. helping bring awareness and to have his culture #evolve," the Batman actress wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for all you are doing for these precious animals. Stay strong! Love, Kim."

On Friday, Basinger was among the protesters outside South Korea's Parliament hoping to see the act finally get passed on "dog meat day," when the meat is traditionally eaten. The act would make killing dogs for food illegal.

"Sometimes pictures speak 1,000 words more than we could ever with our voices," Basinger said as she held a model of a dead dog, reports CNN.

Basinger has been a longtime animal rights' activist and this was her first time in South Korea. She told reporters that if South Korea does pass the bill, it could set an example for other countries with poor animal rights records.

"I do think that government is going to have to not turn a blind eye and really come up with solutions like this," Basinger said. "South Korea is going to be the leader for this, it's going to be known for this and it's going to trickle down."

Basinger also shared a video from the rally on her Instagram page, adding, "Spread the word to save these precious animals from torture and slaughter! You can do this people!"

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A post shared by Kim Basinger (@kim.basinger) on Jul 11, 2019 at 8:07pm PDT

Pyo told CNN South Korean President Moon Jae-in does support the act, but since it is not a policy his party officially supports, individual members of Parliament can vote however they like.

"Many of the congressmen are based in rural areas where dog farms exist and they are under pressure not to talk about the bill, not to support the bill, not to allow the bill coming on the table," Pyo explained.

According to the Korea Times, rally organizers Animal Liberation Wave and Last Chance for Animals said 46 percent of South Koreans support a ban on dog meat consumption. Only 18.5 percent are against the ban.

However, just a few feet from the anti-dog meat rally was a group of dog meat farmers who said the bill would result in them losing their jobs. According to the group of farmers, 70,000 people rely on the industry for jobs.

Basinger is best known for her Oscar-winning performance in L.A. Confidential and her role as Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's Batman. More recently, she appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, The Nice Guys, The 11th Hour and Grudge Match.

Photo credit: Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images