hankyoreh

calling for a stop to the consumption of dog meat

In an age when there are ten million pets in South Korea, public opinion about the consumption of dog meat is fiercely divided. As the first of the three traditional hottest days of the year approaches (Chobok, July 12), central Seoul has seen a series of conflicting mass rallies, some opposing dog meat sales and others crying out for merchants’ rights to maintain their livelihood. Shop owners in Moran Livestock Market, Korea’s largest market dealing in dog meat, have been trying to convert to other businesses amid rising opposition to dog-meat consumption.　

On July 6, just six days before Chobok, customers were few and far between on the streets of Moran Market, which is packed with dog-meat wholesalers, retailers and restaurants specializing in health and stamina foods. Merchants waiting for customers were seen standing in front of their shops passing the time on their mobile phones. One butcher who deals in dog meat said, “The hottest days used to be our busiest time, but this year it looks as if our sales will be down by 80 to 90 percent. It’s really frustrating. We’ve got hardly any customers, yet we still have to pay the rent.”

With the increase in the number of people who keep dogs as pets and the demand for dog meat falling, the Moran Market merchants, looking for a way out of their difficult business situation, came to an agreement with the Seongnam City government last December, whereby the merchants would stop displaying their dog cages and abattoirs in exchange for municipal financial support to refurbish their shops. They would be allowed to continue to distribute and sell dog meat on the condition that the visible facilities that those opposed to dog meat consumption find offensive be removed. It was the city’s way of offering a carrot rather than a stick.

Of the 22 dog-meat butcher shops in the market, 15 agreed to participate in the program and began complying in February. In a telephone conversation with the Hankyoreh, Kim Yong-buk, chairman of the Moran Livestock Market Merchants’ Association, said, “We acknowledge that the process of slaughtering dogs is excessively cruel, and with the gradual fall in demand, merchants are finding themselves in crisis and realize they must seek other ways of making a living.”

Those merchants who have decided to try changing their business express both expectation and anxiety about it. According to Seongnam City government, four shops in Moran Market are offering grilled tripe in tents put up for them by the municipal government. One merchant who sold dog meat in the market for 23 years said, “Once we have completed our restructuring of the market environment, we expect the number of customers to increase again. With that in mind, I’m preparing to start selling food.” Another shop owner confessed, “It’s one thing for a young person to start a new business and fail, but for someone like me, in my fifties, it’s scary to try to start all over again. With the delays in the support promised by the city government, my debts are piling up.”

The seven dog meat butchers that did not agree to participate in the city government‘s program have continued to process dogs on their premises. Two of them have live dogs on display in cages in the middle of the street, and between the curtains, one can see live dogs being dragged off to slaughter. It is estimated that 40 to 50 dogs are slaughtered every day. Municipal officials continue to try to persuade those opposed to the program to get on board and are pushing ahead with their support of those trying new businesses. One official said, “For those who are willing to change their business model, the city government intends to continue giving administrative support by helping them get low-interest loans and providing on-site consultation.”　

Members of animal rights groups CARE and Korean Animal Welfare Association march after an event titled Stop It 2017 at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall

Rallies for and against dog-meat consumption are facing off in central Seoul. On July 9, a group opposing the sale and consumption of dog meat held an event titled Stop It 2017 at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall. The event was sponsored by the animal protection organization CARE (Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth), and more than 500 citizens took part, chanting “Stop dog-meat consumption! Abolish dog-meat farms!” On July 8, a parade against dog meat consumption was held. More than a hundred members of a group called Anti-Dogmeat Friends gathered in Insa-dong in central Seoul and criticized the traditional consumption of dog meat, saying: “The eating of dog meat is a vice introduced from China. Simply because the bok [Chinese] character in the word for the hottest summer days contains the character meaning ‘dog,’ innocent dogs are being slaughtered and eaten.”

Members of the Korea Association of Dog Farmers gathered in front of the Bosingak bell pavilion in Seoul’s Jongno district on the afternoon of July 6 in a rally titled Standing Up for the Right to Livelihood of a Million Dog Farmers. They insist that people should distinguish between dogs as pets and dogs raised for their meat. The sponsors of the event estimate that more than 1,500 people gathered in various places around the country to protest that dog-meat farmers are dying off.

By Ko Han-sol, staff reporter

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