The Justice Ministry has given advance notice for a revision to a civil law, in a move to shift the legal status of animals away from simple objects.

The ministry announced on Monday that a new clause stating that "animals are not objects" was added to Article 98 of the Civil Code.

A ministry official said the change reflects social consensus that animals should be protected and their lives respected amid a growing number of households with companion animals.

Under the existing law, animals are labelled as objects, which means animal abusers at the most only face penalties for property damage.

The official said with the adoption of the revision, punishment or compensation for animal abuse is expected to meet public expectations in the long term.

The revision, however, did not specify how animals would be defined under civil law.