By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Kim Tae-gyun, a 35-year-old salary worker, decided to stop eating meat last year after learning about the risk of mad cow disease and other possible harmful effects.
``I was shocked after learning how dangerous it can be to eat the flesh of animals,'' Kim said. ``The more I get to know, the less I want to eat meat.''
There are an increasing number of people like Kim, who have decided to try a vegetarian diet following the outbreak of avian influenza earlier this year and the possibility of a human form of mad cow disease.
Lee Won-bok, president of the Korea Vegetarian Union, said that he has seen a sharp increase in the number of members who have recently signed up to the union.
``As people learn more about the danger of mad cow diseases, more and more people seem to seek a way to eat safely,'' Lee said. ``In Britain, about 13 percent of the population is known to be vegetarian. The number started to increase in 1980s when mad cow disease hit the country.''
Lee estimated only one percent of the Korean population is a vegetarian but the number will be gradually increasing.
Vegetarianism can be defined as the practice of a diet that excludes all animals including poultry, fish and other slaughtered livestock. Some also exclude eggs or some products produced from animal labor such as dairy products and honey.
But compared to other countries, people here have more difficulty in simply excluding meat from their daily diets due to the lack of vegetarian culture and facilities.
Introducing himself as semi-vegetarian, Park Jung-muk, a 58-year-old officer worker said social gatherings with non-vegetarian colleagues and friends make it sometimes hard to live a life of vegetarian.
``Since I have skin problems, I try to become a vegetarian. I know well about the benefits of vegetarianism and harmful aspects of a meat diet. But it's still hard to live without meat,'' Park said.
To help people like Park live as vegetarian, Lee holds a small gathering with members at a restaurant every week. This offers a chance to exchange information and tips as well as encouragement for a well-organized vegetarian diet.
``People may think that vegetarians just eat raw vegetables, which is not true. We pursue properly planned vegetarian diets which have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life,'' Lee said.
He explained that tofu can be a great source for protein and various vegetables can offer all the necessary nutrition.
``Parents may worry about their kids growth due to an unbalanced diet. But a well-organized vegetarian diet can not only help them grow fit as well as reduce the risks of cancer, diabetes and other diseases,'' he said.
He also advised eating meat-flavored dishes made of beans if people are too used to a meat diet and find it hard to live without it.
The reasons for choosing vegetarianism are varied from morality, religion, culture, ethics and taste.
But one of the major reasons here seems to be that people want to stay healthy as studies have shown vegetarianism significantly lower the risk of cancer and heart diseases.
Park Hyun-jung, 27, said vegetarianism is the best way to stay healthy.
As she had weight problems, which also caused her mild depression, she decided to go on a vegetarian diet to simply lose weight.
Thanks to the diet, she lost 15 kilograms in three months and said she couldn't feel better.
``I used to eat a lot and it was hard to live happily. Now I've got a better body condition and better skins. The vegetarian diet has changed my life,'' she said.
Vegetarianism can be a way to survive to some with more serious health problems.
Lee Hyun-sook, 58, housewife, had an operation for stomach cancer five years ago. She couldn't get more cancer treatment at hospital and so started a vegetarian diet.
``A third of my stomach has been removed. But now I feel healthy. I believe the vegetarian diet has helped me gain strength,'' she said.
Many mothers are also considering a vegetarian diet for their kids since instant foods, sausages and other junk foods cause them problems.
``I've long been a vegetarian as I can't digest meat well. But I think my vegetarian diet has been also good for my baby, not like other babies who easily suffer from skin problems and other diseases these days,'' Hwang Yoon-ju, 35, a housewife said.
Vegetarians also point out that they decided to become a vegetarian as a way to oppose to abuse of animal rights.
``I started to try hard to be a vegetarian ever since I found out the evil side of mass breeding of chickens and other livestock,'' Kim Young-ae, 30, a salary worker, said. ``Most of them are raised in poor unsanitary conditions and get antibiotics and growth hormones shots. It's so inhumane and it is definitely bad for humans.''
The KVU president also emphasized that vegetarianism can be a good way of ``environmental movement.''
``I think environmental activists should be vegetarians. Mass breeding of livestock causes massive environmental pollution and costs massive energy, and vegetarianism can stop it in a peaceful way,'' he said.
To promote the benefits of vegetarianism, Lee's organization is holding a campaign along with other civic groups under the name of ``Green People Network.''
On Tuesday, the coalition held a symposium on vegetarianism to discuss successful examples of schools and hospital that adopt vegetarian diets for students and patients and have sought ways to help people become a vegetarian.
For more information, visit the Korea Vegetarian Union's official Web site at www.vege.or.kr.