By Kim Se-jeong
Back in the days when starvation was common in Korea, many people ate dogs, a precious source of protein which was scarce.
That’s how Korea got its label as a dog-eating country, a trend that has been slowly fading with economic prosperity. But some older people still enjoy dog meat and some even think they can kill and eat any dogs, as happened in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, last week.
On Sept. 28, a resident there surnamed Chae, 33, called local police as she had lost her old English sheepdog named Heart. Chae said that according to witnesses, four villagers picked the dog up in a truck outside a community center.
Police later found out that the villagers ate the dog. The people, in their 60s and 70s, argued that Heart was already dead when they spotted it. In video footage obtained by the police, the dog was not moving on the side of the street, enough to suppose that he was dead.
But Chae claimed the dog was still alive when the men approached, based on more video footage and testimony from other witnesses, who said that the men were holding wooden bars as they approached the dog.
If it is proven that the dog was alive and the villagers killed it, they will be subject to up to one year in prison or up to 10 million won in fines for violating the Animal Protection Act. If it was already dead, they will get up to one year in prison or up to 3 million won in fines for theft.
Chae sought an online petition to punish the villagers, and more than 13,000 signed it as of Wednesday, condemning the alleged offenders.
“I want them to be punished harshly. They are insane,” one wrote.
Another wrote, “They’re so cruel. Dogs are no longer food as these people thought. They are now part of families for many people.”
Angry people also posted messages on the local police agency’s website.
“I want a thorough investigation and adequate punishment for them,” one wrote. “We’ll be watching you.”