Howls of satisfaction among Korean animalists, after the Seoul Parliament unanimously banned the consumption of dog meat yesterday. The law agreed upon by the two major political forces has been approved with 208 votes in favor and 2 abstentions. It foresees, among other things, sentences of up to three years in prison for breeders of dogs for human consumption - with fines of more than 20,000 euros - and two years in prison for distributors.
Both the 3,500 farms and specialized restaurants will have to register and submit a conversion plan, which can be gradual, to their town council throughout this semester. The authorities grant a three-year grace period and financial aid to change businesses and finally put an end to this trade, which is embarrassing more and more South Koreans.
Officially, there are currently half a million caged dogs in the country, fattening up to be slaughtered and cooked. Nothing will save them. However, the opening of any dog farm, distributor, restaurant or slaughterhouse is prohibited from today. Although there is unanimity in Parliament, sponsored by President Yoon Suk-yeol and, above all, the first lady, Kim Keon-hee, who live with several pets, this unanimity is not on the street.
Not surprisingly, it is an ancestral culinary tradition. Farmers have come out almost as much as animalists, in defense of their interests and in defense of individual freedom. Or at least, in defense of the best conditions to accommodate well-seen livestock forms.
In reality, the dog meat industry had been semi-clandestine for 45 years. At the end of the seventies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock stopped including dogs for consumption in its statistics. However, the industry exists and is four times larger than semi-official estimates, according to industry sources, with 4,000 breeders and hundreds of slaughterhouses.
Its consumers, it is true, are far fewer than a decade ago and needless to say post-war. Today they are, in general, older men, who consume it in second-class restaurants, with abundant spices to disguise the strong flavor and smell. In summer, however, dog soup is popular with a much wider audience. "It's like a Red Bull, your eyes pop out of your sockets", explains Yudang, a fan of this type of meat. But for most young people, a dog can only be a companion animal, in no case the main course of lunch or dinner.
In any case, Koreans are not the only Asians who love dog meat. From the north-east of India – in the case of some tribes – to Vietnam and Indonesia, dog meat is part of the diet, although much less than pork, beef or chicken. Some countries, such as the Philippines, Singapore, India and even Taiwan, were several years ahead of Seoul by imposing a veto on this kind of meat. Last year alone there were six proposals or bills for the ban in South Korea, which failed.
However, in Indonesia, its popularity is increasing. In Vietnam, the silhouette of grilled dogs is clearly distinguishable at street stalls, and in China, the already popular Yulin Dog and Lychee Festival was only created in 2009.
Food taboos, finally, go by culture. Eating rabbit, for the Japanese, is typical of melancholy. Eating beef is unthinkable for most Indians – Indian McDonald's hamburgers are chicken or potato – and for Koreans, eating snails is rubbish.
The president of South Korea scores a goal in front of part of the electorate; in part, the same one who observed with horror how, a year ago, the Ministry of Equality (of the sexes) was abolished. Although at first glance the law does not penalize the consumer, his fellow citizens will find it impossible to legally consume dog meat within three years. They will always have North Korea, even though there is precisely no meat there.
