South Korea's First Lady speaks up against controversial dog-eating habit (special focus by The Straits Times)

South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon-hee going for a walk with her pet dogs near her residence in Seoul. - The Korea Herald/ANN

SEOUL, June 18 (The Straits Times/ANN): South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon-hee has become the latest public figure to voice out against the country's controversial habit of eating dog meat.

An animal lover, she is known to rescue abandoned dogs and is raising four dogs - and three cats - at home with her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol.

"I hope the Yoon government will produce concrete results in animal abuse, neglect of abandoned dogs and dog meat issues," Kim said in her first media interview as First Lady, published in local newspaper Seoul Shinmun on Monday (June 13).

"Ultimately, not eating dog meat is a form of respect for man's closest friend and respect for life."

She also warned that dogs for consumption are raised in unsanitary conditions and urged the government to help dog traders switch jobs to put an end to the industry.

To eat or not to eat dog meat is a touchy subject that sparks debate in South Korea, where lawmakers have failed numerous times to pass a law to ban the "outdated habit".

There is no official data, but a 2017 report by animal protection groups estimated that up to a million dogs are eaten a year.

Those who enjoy bosintang, a spicy hot soup made of dog meat, believe in its nutritional benefits.

The practice of having bosintang on the hottest days of summer to "fight with fire" started centuries ago, but lost popularity in recent years due to growing awareness about animal rights and a rising trend of pet ownership.

Some 15 million people in South Korea own pets, a trend fuelled by the growing number of single households and dwindling birth rate.

South Korea gets attacked by animal rights activists during bosintang season every summer and western media outlets have questioned this tradition every time the country hosts a major event, such as the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Former president Moon Jae-in and former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung are among the political heavyweights who have raised the need for a ban on dog meat consumption, but there is no public consensus on the issue.

A poll conducted by Gyeonggi province last year showed that 84 per cent of 1,000 residents have no intention of eating dogs.

But opinions about enacting a ban are mixed. A study by polling agency R&Search last year indicated that only 36.3 per cent of respondents were in favour of a ban, while 27.5 per cent disagreed and 36.1 per cent answered "I don't know".

A survey by pollster Realmeter, also done last year, showed that seven in 10 people believe that the decision to eat dog meat or not should be left to the individual.

South Korea's Animal Protection Act bans the "brutal killing" of dogs and they are not classified as livestock meant for consumption, but there are no explicit rules against eating dog meat.

Animal rights groups estimate there are 2,000 to 3,000 farms that raise dogs for consumption - primarily yellow mongrels but other breeds including golden retrievers, beagles and jindos have been found in rescue operations.

How the dogs end up on the dining table is often shrouded in secrecy, although activists say the animals are slaughtered illegally.

The country's largest dog meat markets and slaughterhouses have already closed as demand declined over the years, leaving only Chilseong market in Daegu city still running with stores selling bosintang and other dog-related products.

Dog meat is also sold in traditional markets all over the country, although the numbers have shrunk over the years.

Data from the Korea Food and Drink Industry Federation showed there were 243 bosintang restaurants in Seoul as at January 2021 - down from 528 in 2005.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched an investigation early this year into how dogs are slaughtered and distributed, but officials found it hard to get information from merchants who "want to hide rather than reveal because their actions are against the law".

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeong Hwang-geun said South Korea should "move towards prohibiting dog meat consumption", but also noted the "longstanding conflict in our society" on this issue.

"We will try to achieve a great compromise by listening to enough opinions from the dog meat industry and animal protection groups, and making adjustments," he added.

Teacher Park Byung-su, 59, agrees with the First Lady's call to end dog meat consumption.

"Dog meat was eaten at a time when other meats like pork, chicken and beef were expensive. But South Korea has now grown to a point whereby people don't even have to eat dogs any more," he told The Straits Times.

He ate bosintang once on a family trip to Chungcheong province in the south-west about 20 years ago. "But I have a dog now, so I cannot imagine eating dog meat again," he said.

Seoul-based Singaporean Li Ziyan, 32, discovered that her boyfriend's parents living in the countryside had raised a white dog for food.

"One day, his grandma fed us dog soup," she told ST. "She would not say what it was but I took a bite and asked if it was dog meat, and she laughed and said yes.

"I was too shocked and could not eat it any more but the oppa (referring to her boyfriend) was enjoying it so much, saying it will warm the body up. But I don't see dogs as food. How can we eat our best friend..." - The Straits Times/ANN