NYC Animal Rights Group Protests Korea’s Dog-Eating Culture

[Newsie]

On July 13, around 10 members of the NYC Animal Battalion gathered in front of the Korean Consulate General in New York and protested against Korea’s culture of eating dog meat. Reportedly, the group chose July 13 specifically to protest because it marks Chobok, the first day of Bok-nal (also known as the Three Dog Days of Summer). These […]

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[Guest Kirari]

What a bunch of dumbasses. If you are going to protest then protest against eating meat, not just eating dog. If you are ok with people eating other kinds of animals then culture is a very valid excuse for eating dog. To the people who raise dogs for meat the dogs are not their friends, just like how farm animals are not your friends.

Go back to New York to throw paint on fur coats and come back until you have your morals and reasoning in order.

[Guest rebrebreb]

I don't know of many areas in Korea that still do this (dog meat). (to be honest, I don't know of any). I have heard dog farms still do exist, but I have never heard of people selling their dogs to these farms, and I don't know where these farms are because public sentiment against them has grown so strong.

[starlight101]

This is a very ignorant and borderline racist protest. First off, Koreans aren't the only ones who have eaten dog. Many other asian countries also have dishes that contain dog meat (plus I don't even think many koreans eat dog anyway) and for them to only target Korea is silly. Like the other comment states, they should just protest against eating meat not just dogs. Although I am a huge dog lover, I understand that not everyone considers dogs as pets/"friends". It's ethnocentric for them to try and instill their beliefs on a different culture and deem it as unacceptable just because they don't agree with it.

[Guest lovelykittea]

This is stupid. I'm currently studying abroad in South Korea right now and let me tell you how many places in Seoul serve dog meat: 0. That's right, 0. I haven't come across any food establishments that serve dog meat. Dog meat isn't even eaten by the majority of Koreans anymore, and there are activists in this country that protest against dog farms (where dogs aren't pets--there's actually a term to describe Korean dogs raised for human consumption) for the few that still do consume dog meat (usually the elderly generation, and out in the rural areas).

[Guest lovelykittea]

I don't know of many areas in Korea that still do this (dog meat). (to be honest, I don't know of any). I have heard dog farms still do exist, but I have never heard of people selling their dogs to these farms, and I don't know where these farms are because public sentiment against them has grown so strong.

From what I've read in the past, dog farms consist of wild dogs, aka dogs that have never been domesticated. They're the dogs that, in rural areas, just go roaming the streets but don't belong to anyone, kinda like feral cats. There's a specific Korean word to describe dogs in dog farms raised for human consumption, but I can't recall the word. But they're not poodles, golden retrievers, or whatnot, that's for sure. They resemble the Korean jindo, but tend to be stockier or something like that.

[Guest RobertaM]

I love all animals but I still eat some of them. Whether or not you consider a particular animal food may depend on culture or just how hungry you are. It has nothing to do with whether you are cruel to that animal.

[lovelymacaron]

This is a very ignorant and borderline racist protest. First off, Koreans aren't the only ones who have eaten dog. Many other asian countries also have dishes that contain dog meat (plus I don't even think many koreans eat dog anyway) and for them to only target Korea is silly. Like the other comment states, they should just protest against eating meat not just dogs. Although I am a huge dog lover, I understand that not everyone considers dogs as pets/"friends". It's ethnocentric for them to try and instill their beliefs on a different culture and deem it as unacceptable just because they don't agree with it.

This. I mean, cows are considered sacred in Hinduism and pigs are considered sacred in Islam (thus eating them if you're either religion is taboo), yet the general American doesn't bat an eye at eating beef or pork. It's hypocrisy.

[Guest rebrebreb]

 

This is a very ignorant and borderline racist protest. First off, Koreans aren't the only ones who have eaten dog. Many other asian countries also have dishes that contain dog meat (plus I don't even think many koreans eat dog anyway) and for them to only target Korea is silly. Like the other comment states, they should just protest against eating meat not just dogs. Although I am a huge dog lover, I understand that not everyone considers dogs as pets/"friends". It's ethnocentric for them to try and instill their beliefs on a different culture and deem it as unacceptable just because they don't agree with it.

 

This. I mean, cows are considered sacred in Hinduism and pigs are considered sacred in Islam (thus eating them if you're either religion is taboo), yet the general American doesn't bat an eye at eating beef or pork. It's hypocrisy.

Eh, I can get why people might find it hypocritical, but I don't think it necessarily has to be hypocritical to have an opposing view, just because you also consume other meats..
Personally, I think many parts of Asia are shedding this practice in an effort to look better nationally.. mostly because of foreigner opinions against it... so, public opinion against this custom is important (if you are against this practice), (which takes precedence for someone against dog eating) regardless of who considers that to be hypocritical thought.
My unrest reading about this protest is: are there not areas with larger dog eating or animal abuse problems?

(just read another poster saying it is more common. Perhaps I am more misinformed than I realized)

[Guest kpfogey]

This is stupid. I'm currently studying abroad in South Korea right now and let me tell you how many places in Seoul serve dog meat: 0. That's right, 0. I haven't come across any food establishments that serve dog meat. Dog meat isn't even eaten by the majority of Koreans anymore, and there are activists in this country that protest against dog farms (where dogs aren't pets--there's actually a term to describe Korean dogs raised for human consumption) for the few that still do consume dog meat (usually the elderly generation, and out in the rural areas).

Sorry to break your bubble, but there are many places in Seoul that serve it. Even doing a naver search lists pages upon pages of search results

[Guest winaitip]

Vietnam China thailand? (¬‿¬)

[Teleri Nyfain]

Considering how many animals our shelters kill each year (PETA, btw, does this a lot) I find it totally hypocritical to protest killing them to eat. Yeah, it's sooooo much better to just gas them & incinerate the bodies...

[hailaft]

  5 hours ago, starlight101 said:

This is a very ignorant and borderline racist protest. First off, Koreans aren't the only ones who have eaten dog. Many other asian countries also have dishes that contain dog meat (plus I don't even think many koreans eat dog anyway) and for them to only target Korea is silly. Like the other comment states, they should just protest against eating meat not just dogs. Although I am a huge dog lover, I understand that not everyone considers dogs as pets/"friends". It's ethnocentric for them to try and instill their beliefs on a different culture and deem it as unacceptable just because they don't agree with it.

This. I mean, cows are considered sacred in Hinduism and pigs are considered sacred in Islam (thus eating them if you're either religion is taboo), yet the general American doesn't bat an eye at eating beef or pork. It's hypocrisy.

I know this out of topic, but I just had to correct this : pigs are NOT sacred in Islam. On the contrary, we don't eat it because it's unhygienic and unhealthy. Just FYI.

[Guest novadestin]

Some people just need a reason to get out of bed in the morning I guess, no matter how idiotic, self-righteous, and entitled that reason might be. I'm actually quite happy to see that most Koreans and International readers agree on this matter. (That doesn't happen very often.)

[Guest noshinbegumt_213f]

I don't know if many Korean still eat dog meat - but either way it doesn't matter. Just as chicken or beef are staple foods in america dig might be in Korea (I feel it's more so in other Asian countries). You don't have the right to mess with another countries culture because it messes with your morals or it's wrong in your country. That's what a lot of people, specifically in Western countries don't get - other countries have different rules and different social norms, STOP EXPECTING THEM TO THINK LIKE YOU DO WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR CULTURE!

[halfmoonsmile]

I am so sick of people telling what not to eat. I don't eat dogs because I love them. However, I can't say that I have the right to rule over what Korea or other countries consume.

[Guest Ming Banger]

This is an ASIAN custom, not just Korean. As despicable and disgusting as I find this, it's not going away. I refuse to frequent restaurants or markets that sell it. The men and woman who rely on this to make a living do not see them as sentient beings with souls.....just as pig, sheep and cattle farmers don't see their livelihoods as sentient beings with souls.
This is, unfortunately, one of the more distasteful aspects of living in an Asian culture and country.

[daloula]

I can understand protesting against the cruel conditions animals live in but dictating to people what and what not to eat is illogical. It's either not eat animals at all or eat whatever animal you want unless this animal is endangered. Why is it ok to eat chicken and not ok to eat dogs apart from cultural and religious reasons?