How prevalent is canine consumption in Korea?
It seems like dog-eating is more of an urban legend or the butt of jokes, and this film has a lot of fun with it (though rather dark fun). Can anyone speak to how widespread the practice is today?
shareIt's difficult to say exactly, because I've seen such wildly different figures as to the proportion of the population that's eaten dog at least once (from around one in ten to a full half--although I personally find that latter figure rather hard to believe).
My personal impression, for what it's worth, is that it's not common and that it's largely confined to older males of certain social strata. Most young South Koreans today see dogs only as pets and find the thought of eating dogs a turn-off, just like most people in most countries where people can afford to choose what they eat. Proof is the not infrequent and often rancorous protests by animal-rights activists aimed at stamping out the practice altogether (although their heavyhanded approach seems ineffective).
While there are articles that state dog meat is the 'fourth most popular meat' in Korea, that's quite misleading and only technically true, since all it means is that most people will rarely eat any other meat besides the usual three -- beef, pork, and chicken.
Even for those who like to eat dog meat dishes, it's not part of the normal diet. You have to go to specialty restaurants in out-of-the-way locations (government campaigns are largely responsible for this) and pay more than what you would pay for 'normal' meats. Rather, it's kind of a masculine ritual, part bravado and part tradition, and only partly a gustatory preference. I think it's safe to assume that as the older generation passes and the more internationalized young people born in the affluent post-80's society take over, the practice of dog-eating will gradually fade.
Thank you for your interesting and informative post, Samsblood! I assumed that dog-eating was a tradition on its last legs (so to speak), so I was surprised to see it addressed in this film as if it is still commonplace. Of course, most of the people eating dog in this film are older men, which seems to reflect the remainder of the population that still consumes it.
Occasionally I see the practice referenced by comedians or sitcoms for cheap laughs that border on racism, though an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" covered the topic hilariously.
As for it being the "fourth-most-popular meat," I guess the field is wide open after beef, pork and chicken. There are probably some Koreans who eat venison and bison, but I suspect these are delicacies out of reach for most citizens.
I'm slightly curious — but certainly not enough to ever find out for myself — what dog meat would taste like, and whether there are certain breeds that are more appealing than the others. Most dogs strike me as too lean to provide much food. Anyway, I realize this is a cultural practice for some, but I view it with curiosity and disdain (though far more of the latter).
Thanks again for your reply!
From what I have read about dog eating in Korea a few years back, it is not truly a Korean tradition. Two millions dogs are killed each year at the equivalent of $250 each, so it is believed to be thriving due to greed and false beliefs. Eating dog supposedly makes a man virile, especially if the dog is beaten before death (gets the blood flowing).
Tradition or not, dogs and cats are treated very cruelly before they die and are killed brutally.
Here's a site with some info on dogs (and cats and bears) and Korean culture, started by someone who grew up in Korea. In the photos on their site, a yellow dog (looks very similar to Hachiko) is common to eat.
http://www.koreananimals.org/about/history.htm
I will go now before I say any more on the subject.
I've already seen the worst movie ever made, so it can only be uphill from there.
Thanks very much for that link. That article puts the issue into perspective: Very few Koreans eat dogs these days, but there is still a substantial minority who continue the practice based on superstition and faulty beliefs.
Certainly Korea isn't only country where domesticated animals are tortured and abused, but the fact that these practices still exist anywhere is cause for alarm.
You're welcome. The picture of the dog I was referring to is not the one on the page I linked. They show another one that looks like Hachiko.
WARNING-GRAPHIC: No, sadly it's not the only country, and they're pretty much always treated horribly before their brutal deaths. In the Philippines, they frequently tie the live and conscious dogs front legs up behind the dogs' backs, and they tie all four feet together and carry them like living suitcases. They put a rusty can over their muzzles when their bound. I can't begin to imagine the suffering. I saw a picture of a bound dog the size of German Shepherd with front legs tied behind his back, looking into the camera that had to be more than 30 years ago as a small ad in the back of some magazine and thought surely something that insane would soon end. Unbelievably, it still goes on.
Of course, countries like the U.S., treat farmed animals horribly, too. It turned me vegetarian literally overnight after viewing many different kinds of animal abuse online almost 10 years ago. One of my first viewings of an animal abuse video back then was seeing a live and conscious cat getting her head cut off with a butcher knife and then being gutted and fried by some coward who only showed his hands. There was no speaking, just loud music by Queen accompanying the horrid video and making the whole thing seem insane. I didn't think it was real at first because I was so new to the Internet, but then I realized it was, plus I had only a phone connection at the time and it played almost like a series of pictures, but it was video. Likely Asian because it's not illegal. It haunted me 24 hours a day for many months, and I'll never forget it.
Sorry to go on and to be so graphic. Well, that's it. I'm done and outta here. I need to give my big dog a big hug now.
I've already seen the worst movie ever made, so it can only be uphill from there.
There is a woman in Korea I have forgotten her name but who has campaigned for years also this organisation in Korea http://animalrightskorea.org/kara-info/about-kara.htmlSo not everyone in Korea supports this
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