‘Eating the dogs’ in South Korea

“They’re eating the dogs… “

The most memorable, ridiculous, racist, and amusing moment from the recent Trump / Harris presidential debate.

(Although Trump’s claims that HE saved Obamacare and has ‘concepts’ of a health care plan were pretty funny too.)

We watched the debate live on BBC (with 13-hour time difference) at our Airbnb rental in Busan, South Korea, the current stop on our endless slow travel world tour.

Like many people, my wife Ellen and I have been repeatedly blurting out the ‘eating the pets’ lines ever since. In fact, neither of us can get the snappy little jingle below out of our heads.

A couple days ago, Ellen was even quietly humming/singing the tune at a local public bus stop. I respectfully suggested she stop. The problem: in South Korea, dog meat is still farmed and eaten, and the subject is sensitive.

No. We have NOT seen dog meat offered for sale anywhere during our first month here. (We did see horse meat advertised in Japan this summer). But news reports from early in 2024 say that an estimated 8% of the South Korean population (mostly the elderly) expected to eat the traditional dish this calendar year.

Those reports also highlighted that the South Korean legislature has now passed a law prohibiting the breeding and butchering of dogs for human consumption. The law will take effect in 2027.

Here are links to some western media accounts of the situation. I admit, it IS an awkward topic.

• Dog meat: Why is it a sensitive topic in Korea?
• South Korea passes bill to ban consumption of dog meat

As you can read in these news articles, dog farming/eating has a long history in Korean culture. Whereas pet ownership is a more recent and fast-growing phenomenon.

Personally, I like dogs — and cats, and pets. I would not want to eat them. Still, I have tried a number of other unusual and exotic animals as food: wild boar, alligator, rattlesnake, goat, deer, rabbit, pigeon, paca, snails, strange shellfish, eel, frog. I really have no problem with humans consuming animals – whatever the species. 

As for my wife, the pet song hummer —  she’s a vegetarian! That’s fine too (though we have found it difficult to convey to Koreans).

As the evil progressive that I am, I usually fall back on the basic tenet of respecting everyone’s personal freedoms and beliefs — as long as they don’t harm anyone else. I won’t tell you what to do with your body, how to pray, what you can read, or who you can love. Regarding animal agriculture; I’m in favor of humane treatment for all creatures. Crazy. Radical. Liberal.

Sadly, modern factory farms prioritize profits over animal welfare. And hideous abuses are routinely reported – often in America and other Western nations. Meanwhile, gasbags like Trump and J D Vance (my pathetic Ohio Senator) will say anything to stoke conservative, racist, religious, and nationalist furor. Deplorable!

Eating dog meat in South Korea is rare

Back in Korea: we can’t help but notice how many people spoil their pet dogs here. Every day while we hang around central Busan as tourists, we witness pet strollers and gaudy animal outfits and extravagant grooming/salon operations. It’s ridiculous really.

I guess, pampering pets is a trend the world over. (We saw it in Japan too.) And as the linked news articles point out, some Koreans say there are more ‘pet babies’ than human babies in this particular society.

Finally, if you want to to know what it is actually like find and eat dog meat in Korea — here’s one more link to a report by a visitor who sought out the experience.

• Confession: I ate dog meat in South Korea

As always, be thankful and generous, happy trails & more beer.

Life is NOW!

Thanks for reading, “‘Eating the dogs’ in South Korea.”

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