By Yi Whan-woo
While fewer South Koreans eat dog meat these days, North Korea is still promoting it as a traditional "stamina food" ― especially during summer.
Since late June, North Korean media outlets have produced multiple stories about the health benefits of dishes made with dog meat.
Tongil Voice, a radio broadcaster, assessed dog stew as the "finest medicine" in a report on Aug. 6.
"There's an old saying that even a slice of dangogi can be good medicine during the dog days," it said. North Korea calls dog meat "dangogi," which literally means sweet meat.
"It shows our people's love for dangogi and that dangogi is the finest of all medicines, especially during the dog days when the weather is scorching."
The Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS), also a radio network, introduced culinary competitions in Pyongyang last month in which contestants made stew, broiled dishes and other recipes using dog meat.
"The contest showed a part of our excellent traditions and customs," the KCBS proclaimed. "It also took place in a timely manner considering we've been improving our living and culinary culture in line with our goal of building a highly-civilized socialist state."
In a July report, the Korean Central Television (KCTV) said a reopened dog meat restaurant in Pyongyang is "being successful in making dog meat more unique."
Citing an encyclopedic text of medicines written during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), DPRK Today, a propaganda outlet on YouTube, proclaimed in June that dog meat has more vitamins than chicken, pork, beef and duck and is also good for the intestines and stomach.
It also claimed that a dog should be beaten to death and that its fur should be removed before being scorched for better taste. This practice of butchery has been controversial in South Korea and has led to protests from animal activists inside and outside the country.
While fewer South Koreans eat dog meat these days, North Korea is still promoting it as a traditional "stamina food" ― especially during summer.
Since late June, North Korean media outlets have produced multiple stories about the health benefits of dishes made with dog meat.
Tongil Voice, a radio broadcaster, assessed dog stew as the "finest medicine" in a report on Aug. 6.
"There's an old saying that even a slice of dangogi can be good medicine during the dog days," it said. North Korea calls dog meat "dangogi," which literally means sweet meat.
"It shows our people's love for dangogi and that dangogi is the finest of all medicines, especially during the dog days when the weather is scorching."
The Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS), also a radio network, introduced culinary competitions in Pyongyang last month in which contestants made stew, broiled dishes and other recipes using dog meat.
"The contest showed a part of our excellent traditions and customs," the KCBS proclaimed. "It also took place in a timely manner considering we've been improving our living and culinary culture in line with our goal of building a highly-civilized socialist state."
In a July report, the Korean Central Television (KCTV) said a reopened dog meat restaurant in Pyongyang is "being successful in making dog meat more unique."
Citing an encyclopedic text of medicines written during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), DPRK Today, a propaganda outlet on YouTube, proclaimed in June that dog meat has more vitamins than chicken, pork, beef and duck and is also good for the intestines and stomach.
It also claimed that a dog should be beaten to death and that its fur should be removed before being scorched for better taste. This practice of butchery has been controversial in South Korea and has led to protests from animal activists inside and outside the country.
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