Following the lunar calendar, the three hottest days of the year in South Korea, which usually fall in mid-July, are known as Boknal. On these dates, for a long time, it has been a tradition in some homes to gobble up the famous boshintang, a stew made from boiled dog meat. This dish has always been associated with the belief that it helps people resist heat stroke and summer humidity. A tradition that has been so ingrained to the point that, according to reports from the meat industry, almost 80% of the dog meat consumed in the Asian nation is eaten during the Boknal.
Since 2017, there has been an animal protection law in South Korea that classifies dogs as companion animals. But that doesn’t mean they come off the food plate. The legislation does not prohibit consuming them as food.
The vast majority of South Koreans do not eat dogs. That is what the national surveys say, especially when young urbanites are asked, scandalized that the meat of the dogs continues to appear on the menus of many restaurants. Animal groups estimate that up to 1.5 million dogs a year are raised for meat on South Korean farms, only to end up being slaughtered and eaten in summer stews. The most used for meat are the nureongi half-breeds, of medium size and yellowish fur.
The debate about whether the South Korean government should ban the consumption of dog meat is not new. In 2021, former progressive president Moon Jae-in’s cabinet already announced that it would set up a working group to study this ban. The current Executive, led by the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, is heading in the same direction.
The current battle to stop the killing of dogs for their meat is led by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who met with various animal rights groups last week. “I will try to end the consumption of dog meat before the end of this government’s term. I think that is my duty,” she promised Kim.
Last year, after her husband’s victory at the polls, the first lady gave an interview explaining that South Korea and China are the only countries among the major economies where people still eat dog. “It’s a problem that can be solved through policy, for example by supporting people who work in the dog meat industry to change jobs,” she said.
It was precisely the dog meat industry that fell on top of Kim a few days ago for his recent comments. “Siding with animal rights groups, which are interest groups, and calling for a ban on the consumption of dog meat is an obvious political activity that exceeds their authority,” responded a statement signed by the farm owners. .
After the campaign led by the first lady, in the South Korean Parliament, both lawmakers from the ruling People’s Power Party, as well as from the opposition, have supported the idea that a special law banning the consumption of dog meat should be enacted soon. The farmers, who resist such a possible change, argued that it is illogical to ban the consumption of dogs simply because an increasing number of people hate the tradition.
“By that logic, if an increasing number of people hate Buddhism or Christianity, then the government can eliminate that religion. Different religions live side by side in this country. The Constitution also prohibits majorities from restricting the liberties of minorities. They want to take away people’s right to eat”, they sentenced in their letter.
One of the animal organizations that has given the most war against dog meat is Humane Society International (HSI). They point out in one of their reports that only in the capital, Seoul, there are approximately 436 restaurants that serve dog meat. Activists from this group have been rescuing dogs from farms for more than a decade. Their data: more than 2,500 dogs saved since 2015, leading 17 farms to cease their activity.
In March, 200 dogs were removed from a slaughterhouse south of Seoul by the HSI team. “Mostly Jindos and Tosas, who have lived their entire lives in miserable conditions, crammed into dirty wire cages. Now they are on their way to the United States and Canada, where they will begin the search for adoptive families,” reads the statement published by the animalists after the rescue.
“Dog meat soup is considered to have health properties, such as keeping the body cool in the hot summer months. Some Koreans also go to traditional medicine shops to buy gaesoju, a drink made from herbs and dog meat. dog that is believed to be a health tonic,” explains Nara Kim, campaign manager for HSI Korea.
“More than a million dogs a year suffer on farms only to be killed and ended up on a plate. Dogs are now perceived as members of the family in all respects, so the social consensus in favor of banning his is beyond doubt,” continues Nara.
Both animal rights groups and many South Korean legislators stress that there is a growing social consensus to finally ban the tradition of eating dog meat. A position that has not stopped gaining support as pet ownership has grown in recent years. According to a report published by holding company KB Financial Group: More than six million households, or about 30% of the country, had a pet in 2020. Of those households with pets, about 80% had dogs.
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