The consumption of dog meat in South Korea, where it is known as "Gaegogi" (Korean: ê°œê³ ê¸°), has a long history originating during Three Kingdoms of Korea, AD C. 57. However, in recent years, it has been controversial both in South Korea and around the world, due to animal rights and sanitary concerns. In fact, consumption of dog meat is uncommon among younger Koreans and the practice is declining rapidly.
History
What Koreans Think of Eating Dog Meat? - Not all Koreans eat dog meat! 1/4 of Koreans have a dog and love them! But Danny eats them! ✗ Social Media Instagram ⇗ David Kim: https://www.instagram.com/kangarookim/ ⇗ Danny Kim:...
The consumption of dog meat can be traced back to antiquity, and dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. A wall painting in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwanghae Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site which dates from 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse (Ahn, 2000). The Balhae people also enjoyed dog meat, and the Koreans' appetite for canine cuisine seems to have come from that era.
Approximately In 1816, Jeong Hak-yu, the second son of Jeong Yak-yong, a prominent politician and scholar of Joseon dynasty at the time, wrote a poem called Nongga Wollyeongga (ë†ê°€ì›"ë ¹ê°€). This poem, which is an important source of Korean folk history, describes what ordinary Korean farming families did in each month of a year. In the description of the month of August the poem tells of a married woman visiting her birth parents with boiled dog meat, rice cake, and rice wine, thus showing the popularity of dog meat at the time (Ahn, 2000; Seo, 2002). Dongguk Sesigi (ë™êµì„¸ì‹œê¸°), a book written by a Korean scholar Hong Seok-mo in 1849, contains a recipe of Bosintang including a boiled dog, green onion, and red chili pepper powder.
There is a traditional anniversary in South Korea called Sambok (三ä¼) at which Koreans in the modern day eat Baeksuk, a chicken soup with rice and herbs. However, some Koreans choose to consume Bosintang instead, a soup containing dog meat.
Current situation
Only a small percentage of the population eats it regularly. There is a large group of Korean people that are against the practice of eating dog meat. There is also a large population of people in South Korea that do not eat or enjoy the meat, but do feel strongly that it is the right of others to do so. There is a smaller group of pro-dog cuisine people in South Korea who want to popularize the consumption of dog in Korea and the rest of the world, considering it to be part of the traditional culture of Korea with a long history worth preserving.
The BBC claims that in 2003, approximately 4,000â€"6,000 restaurants served soups made from dog meat in Korea. The soups cost about US$10 while dishes of steamed dog meat with rice cost about US$25. The BBC claims that 8,500 tons of dog meat are consumed per year, with another 93,600 tons used to produce a medicinal tonic called Gaesoju (개소주).
Dog meat is often consumed during the summer months and is either roasted or prepared in soups or stews. The most popular of these soups is Gaejang-guk, a spicy stew meant to balance the body's heat during the summer months. This is thought to ensure good health by balancing one's "ki" or vital energy of the body. A 19th century version of Gaejang-guk (개장êµ) explains the preparation of the dish by boiling dog meat with green onions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots.
On December 13, 2016, the termination of slaughtering dogs and slaughtering facilities in Moran Market was announced by the local government and vendors' association. Moran Market, located in Seongnam, was the largest dog meat market in South Korea. Annually, it sold over 80,000 dogs and was the source for one-third of the dog meat consumption in country. The decision was reached in an effort to mitigate the negative views of the market by remodeling it as part of a city project. All of the dog slaughtering facilities in the market were planned to be removed by May 2017 and the vendors will be aided financially by the government in the process.
Inspired by the decision made concerning the Moran Market in 2016, protesters gathered at Gupo Market in Busan in February 2017 calling for the closure of the dog meat vendors. The Gupo Market is of similar size to the Moran Market and has been around since the Joseon Dynasty. In the recent decades, the number of dog meat vendors in the market has decreased to only 22 vendors due to the efforts of the government trying to improve the image of the city for tourists. As of now, there have been no official statements by the local government involving plans to remove the dog meat vendors.
Dogs used for meat
The primary dog breed raised for meat is a non-specific landrace commonly named as Nureongi (누ë ì´), or Hwangu (황구). Nureongi are not the only type of dog currently slaughtered for their meat in South Korea. In 2015, The Korea Observer reported that many different pet breeds of dog are bred to be eaten, including for example, labradors, retrievers and cocker spaniels, and that the dogs slaughtered for their meat often include former pets.
In 2010, the Korean Statistics Information Service reported there were 892,820 dogs in 100,191 farms.
The majority of dogs are slaughtered by electrocution, hanging and being beaten over the head before exsanguination.
In 2015, it was reported that when retrievers are sold as meat dogs, they cost over 200,000 Korean Won (£140 British pounds or $180 US dollars).
Legal status
Between 1975 and 1978, dogs had the full legal status of livestock animals in South Korea, but the legality of the dog meat trade is now highly disputed. South Korea adopted its first Animal Protection Law in May, 1991.
Currently, Article 7 of the Animal Protection Act does not explicitly prohibit the slaughter of dogs for food, however, it "prohibits killing animals in a brutal way". In addition, it "forbids killing the dogs in open areas such as on the street or in front of other animals of the same species".
The controversy over dog meat has led to lobbying for/against regulation as well as differing interpretations of existing laws.
Dog meat is subject to the Food Sanitation Act/Food Hygiene Act of 1962, which simply defines food" as "all foodstuff, except taken as medicine". However, unlike beef, pork, or poultry, dog meat is excluded from the list of livestock under the Livestock Processing Act of 1962, which is "the principal statute governing hygienic slaughtering of livestock and processing of meat." Hence dog meat farming is under-regulated compared to that of other stock animals.
As a result, there are no regulations requiring the humane slaughter of dogs for meat. The controversy over dog meat consumption often centers on the slaughtering methods employed, which include electrocution, strangulation by hanging, and physically beating the dog to death. Some dogs are still alive when they are blow-torched or thrown into boiling water to remove their fur. Some in South Korea and abroad believe that dog meat should be expressly legalized so that only authorized preparers can deal with the meat in more humane and sanitary ways, while others think that the practice should be banned by law.
In 2008, the Seoul Metropolitan Government proposed a recommendation to the national government to add dogs to the list of livestock whose slaughter is regulated by law. However, activist groups attacked the proposal as legitimizing or legalizing the trade in dog meat. The city dropped the proposal, but an official from the national government was quoted as saying “It’s the sole idea of the city. We have not been consulted at all .... I don’t think we are planning to even consider this option.â€
Types of dishes
- Bosintang (ë³´ì‹ íƒ•; 補身湯); Gaejangguk (개장êµ) Stew containing boiled dog meat and vegetables.
- Gaegogi Jeongol (ê°œê³ ê¸° ì „ê³¨) â€" An elaborate dog stew made in a large Jeongol pan.
- Gae Suyuk (개 수육; 개水肉)- Boiled dog meat
- Gaegogi Muchim (ê°œê³ ê¸° 무침) â€" Steamed dog meat, Korean leeks (부ì¶"), and vegetables mixed with spices
- Gaesoju (개소주; ê°œç‡'é…') â€" Mixed drink containing dog meat and other Chinese medicine ingredients such as ginger, chestnut, and jujube to invigorate one's health.
International scrutiny
During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the South Korean government urged its citizens not to consume dog meat in order to avoid bad publicity during the games, along with a request to butcher shops not to hang dog carcasses in the windows. It also closed all restaurants serving Gaejang-guk to better improve the country's image to Western visitors. A 1998 Salon article reported that despite officially being banned by the government for a decade, nearly 20,000 restaurants at the time were still serving dog meat. South Korea's successful bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996 prompted a new wave of criticism against South Korea's dog meat culture. Activists argue that as whale meat consumption declined in Japan after the 1964 Summer Olympics, South Koreans should reduce their consumption of dog meat.
The controversy surfaced again in 2001 during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The organizers of the games, under pressure from animal rights groups such as PETA demanded that the Korean government re-address the issue. Brigitte Bardot, a prominent head of a French animal rights organization which is named after her, launched a campaign during the 2002 FIFA World Cup to have dog meat outlawed in Korea. She prompted people to boycott the games if the government did not outlaw the sale of dog meat in restaurants in Seoul.
Controversy
In Korea, some people eat Bosintang (literally "invigorating soup"), believing it to have medicinal properties, particularly as relates to virility. In South Korea dog meat is also believed to encourage one's energy or virility and usually consumed during the intense Korean summer, whereas in China dog meat is consumed in the winter months under the belief that it increases warmth. There is no scientific evidence to support any purported health benefits from consuming dog meat.
Many Korean Buddhists consider eating meat, including dog meat, an offense.
In recent years, some Korean people have changed their attitudes towards eating dog meat from "personal choice" to "unnecessary cruelty." Animal rights activists in South Korea protest against the custom of eating dog meat. Since 1988, international animal welfare activists â€" most notably, French actress Brigitte Bardot â€" have campaigned against dog meat consumption in South Korea. However, Korean nationalists on the internet have defended the consumption of dog meat, accusing animal welfare activists of forcing "Westernization" on Korea. A 2007 survey by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture showed that 59% of Koreans aged under 30 would not eat dog. Some 62% of the same age group said they regard dogs as pets, not food. Many young Koreans think those who eat dog are anachronists.
In Defense of Animals opposes the consumption and trade of dog meat in Korea, viewing it as an unregulated industry, with conditions it views as unsanitary and cruel. Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) estimates that approximately 2.5 million dogs are slaughtered in South Korea every year. Several organizations, such as In Defense of Animals, KARA, Guardians of Rescue, and koreandogs.org[5], are petitioning the South Korean government to ban dog meat consumption.
Korean Americans have used lawsuits against public figures who mention this aspect of Korean cuisine. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, TV host Jay Leno joked that the Korean skater Kim Dong-Sung would eat his dog. The MCIC Group filed a class-action lawsuit against Leno on behalf of 50,000 Korean Americans, demanding an apology and monetary damages.
The animal welfare advocacy group, Animal Welfare Institute, has called for letters of protest about the dog meat trade to be sent to the South Korean president and ambassador to the United States prior to South Korea hosting the 2018 winter Olympics. The charity, World Dog Alliance, raised a successful e-petition in 2012, calling for the UK Government to intervene and oppose the cruelty. In 2015, the issue was finally debated in the House of Commons Chamber. A second debate on South Korea’s dog meat trade in the UK Parliament was held on September 12, 2016 by the Petitions Committee, following an e-petition which was started on petition.parliament.uk. Change.org has over 450,000 signatures on a petition to boycott the 2018 Winter Olympics
Numerous activist groups have documented cases in South Korea and China of dogs being beaten, burned, electrocuted, and boiled alive. Some Koreans and Chinese believe in a myth that the more a dog suffers prior to being killed, the more tender the dog meat will be for consumption.
See also
- Nureongi
- Taboo food and drink
- Animal welfare and rights in South Korea
Notes
References
Further reading
- Yong-Geun Ann, PhD. Dog Meat (in Korean and English). Hyoil Book Publishing Company. (contains some recipes)
- June Kim. The Dog Butcher.Â
- An English translation of the Korean Animal Protection Law (2007)
External links
Dog at Wikibook Cookbooks
Media related to Dog meat at Wikimedia Commons
- Do Koreans Really Eat Dog? About.com
