- In April of this year, South Korea’s first lady, Kim Kyon, promised to try to stop the consumption of dog meat in South Korea.
- His statement drew backlash from the dog meat industry.
- Dog meat has been a traditional food source in South Korea for centuries, but it has been in decline for years.
South Korea’s dog meat trade has reached its final stage.
After being a traditional food source for hundreds of years, its place in South Korean cuisine has been contested over the past few decades.
In 2016, the industry was responsible for supplying approximately 2 million dogs for meat from approximately 17,000 dog farms. By 2023, the number of dogs for meat has fallen from about 700,000 to 1 million, and the number of farms has fallen from about 3,000 to 4,000.
For centuries, South Koreans have been eating dog meat.
It is believed to regulate body temperature, so it is often eaten on hot days. A common stew was called „mong-mong dong,” which translates to „woof-woof stew.”
proof’s: Time, The New York Times, Guardian, Guardian
South Korea is not the only country where dog meat is eaten. It is consumed in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, North Korea and throughout Africa.
According to the Animal Rights Group, in 2017, around 30 million dogs were killed annually in Asia for their meat.
proof’s: Time, BBC, The New York Times, Guardian
South Korea’s dog meat trade has come under increasing scrutiny over the past decade.
This is partly due to its reputation as a wealthy country and having a decent dog breeding industry.
proof’s: Conversation, Time, BBC
Another reason is some of the brutal techniques involved.
In 2018, Mark Singh, an activist with the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, told USA Today that the issue is how the dogs are killed.
„In Korea, they usually put a rope around the dog’s neck, take them out again, hang them and beat them,” Singh said. „Another method is that they crack the head open.”
Sometimes they give electricity,” he said. „They shock them and burn them or peel them off
proof’s: Conversation, Guardian, USA Today
Another reason is vocal opposition from animal rights groups over the years.
The struggle has also had an impact elsewhere. Last month in Indonesia, authorities announced a ban on the slaughter of dogs and cats at a meat market on the island of Sulawesi after protests from activists and celebrities.
South Korea’s dog meat industry has been in decline for years. In 2016, around 17,000 dog farms provided around 2 million dogs for meat.
The farms provided a variety of dogs, including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Chihuahuas, Huskies and Rottweilers.
proof’s: The New York Times, Al Jazeera
By 2023, the number of dogs fed to restaurants will drop from about 700,000 to 1 million, and the number of dogs fed to farms will drop from about 3,000 to 4,000.
proof’s: The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, Al Jazeera
In 2018, South Korea faced increased international scrutiny when it hosted the Winter Olympics.
The government knew it was coming and offered restaurants a cash incentive of 2 million won, or about $1,850, to stop serving dog meat and remove it from their signs.
But this was not taken up by many restaurants, and even the few who accepted the offer lost so much business that they returned to selling dog meat dishes.
Source: NBC News
The dog meat trade took another hit in June 2018, when a South Korean court ruled that killing dogs for food is illegal, although it is actually legal to eat dog meat.
Dog Farm Association representative Cho Hwan-ro responded, „Cows, pigs, chickens and ducks are all raised to eat, why not dogs?”
One theory for this opposition is known as „cornism”. Social psychologist Melanie Joy told EuroNews that „cornism” is defined as a process of categorizing animals as companions or farm animals.
When an animal is classified as a farm animal, it is more palatable to kill and eat it, whereas killing companion animals is more difficult to accept. Joy said it’s a global phenomenon but applies specifically to specific animals in specific countries.
„We treat different animals very differently because we’ve been conditioned to do so,” he said.
proof’s: National Geographic, Euro news
Korean dog meat farmers have argued that the dogs they breed are different from those kept as pets. But this difference has narrowed in South Korea over the past three decades.
Joo Young Ha, a professor at the Academy of Korean Studies, told NBC News that in the late 1980s, people in South Korea did not keep dogs as pets. They were primarily a source of meat.
He said it was only in the 1990s that South Korea began adopting Western trends such as keeping dogs as pets. As of 2019, nearly 5 million South Korean households had pets.
Suh Yoon-kook, a professor of psychology at Yonsei University, told CNN that humans have a different relationship with dogs because the animals provide „unconditional gratification.”
„People judge people but dogs don’t judge people,” he told CNN.
He added: „This unconditional love of dogs has contributed to the growing popularity of dogs as pets.”
In 2021, the government established a task force to review the dog meat industry and the ban was imposed after a poll showed that 84% of Koreans no longer eat dog meat.
The same poll showed that only 59% of South Koreans wanted to ban dog meat.
So far no ban has been imposed even after meeting more than 20 times.
In April, South Korea’s first lady, Kim Kyon-hee, announced that she would „try to stop eating dog meat before the end of this government’s term.”
„I think it’s my duty,” he said. In response, dog breeders banded together and filed formal complaints against him.
But Han Jeong-ae, a South Korean politician, told Time that she applauded Kim’s announcement and has introduced proposed legislation to end the trade. His bill would compensate farmers who voluntarily close their farms.
proof’s: South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, Time
Yoon Su-wol, a dog meat restaurant owner in Seoul, told TIME that the days of the booming dog trade are already over.
„I only make about a third of what I used to make,” Yoon said. „Young people don’t come here. Only sick old people come for lunch.”
Source: Time
It is not yet clear whether the dog meat industry will be banned.
The Dog Breeders’ Association has asked for the chance to continue until its core customers – mostly among the elderly – die off and the industry fades away naturally, which it estimates will happen in about 20 years.
Source: Time
But that demand has not been accepted and many animal rights groups have said they oppose the industry’s slow wind.
Source: Time
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