Dog meat consumption down in Seoul

Police prevent dog farm owners from taking dogs out of cages during a protest calling for the government to legalize the dog meat trade near the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

Fewer people in Seoul are eating dog as nearly 40 percent of the restaurants selling dog meat have closed over the last 10 years.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of restaurants serving dog meat soup, or "bosintang," decreased from 528 in 2005 to 329 in 2014 ― many of which either closed or changed their menu. Even, some hide the name of bosintang with "meat soup" or "meat stew" to reduce people's feelings of disgust.

Gyeongdong Market in Jegi-dong, once famous for its district of restaurants selling dog meat, had only five as of last year.

The poll found such a change in the local food culture is due to the shift of generational tastes. Most in the younger generations refuse to eat dog meat.

The international animal activist group "Last Chance for Animals" said it discovered that 81.2 percent of Koreans did not eat dog meat for the past year after interviewing 1,000 people.

It also revealed 40.5 percent have never tried dog meat and 24.8 percent said they ate bosintang in the past but not anymore. Only 18.8 percent said they will keep eating dog meat and only 1.2 percent said they eat dog meat regularly, every month.

Koreans have been eating dog meat to re-energize their bodies in the summer months, which they believed helps supplement their physical stamina during the summer.

However, many began to shun eating dog meat as younger generations perceive it as uncivilized. Those who enjoy dog meat are mostly in their 50s to 60s now.

A man in his 30s said he ate dog meat at his co-worker's suggestion, but he felt guilty later when he watched a TV program with many cute puppies running around in the scene.

"My friends are very reluctant to eat dog meat and it has influenced me a lot. I think I will not eat dog meat anymore," Kim said.

Meanwhile, dog meat restaurateurs and dog farm owners have for a long time established an association to make dog eating legal. Last week, they held protests near Jongno and the National Assembly.

They insisted that dog be included in the category as one of the animals that can be served as food in the livestock industry act. Thus, it recognizes restaurateurs and dog farm owners to legally slaughter dogs and distribute and sell the meat.

However, last March lawmakers amended the law to ban dog farms with unsanitary disposal facilities.

"Demands for dog meat have decreased dramatically recently while the level of awareness about animal rights has skyrocketed," said an official of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

"Eating dog meat is not illegal and local governments cannot crack down on farms or restaurants selling dog meat. However, it is definitely a declining industry and it is just a matter of time before it disappears all together."

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