In this blog post, we will take a look at the ethical conflicts and legalization debates surrounding dog meat, a traditional Korean food culture, and see how they are developing.
The debate over the pros and cons of Korea’s dog meat culture has been ongoing for a long time. Korean animal rights groups and animal protection associations have been criticizing the dog meat culture and are constantly opposing the legalization of dogs as livestock. This is largely due to the fact that dogs have long been loved as pets and considered almost like family members. The dog meat culture has been consistently criticized overseas as being barbaric and should be eradicated. A typical example is that, in order to avoid criticism from foreign media during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the city government ordered all the signboards of the “boshin-tang” restaurants in Seoul to be taken down or to replace the word “boshin-tang” with “sacheon-tang” or “youngyang-tang” and to display that on the signboards.
However, recently, there is a growing voice that love or compassion for dogs cannot prevent the legalization of the dog meat industry forever. The reason why the legalization of dog meat is necessary is that there has been a constant demand for dog meat at a certain level, and a significant number of people are looking for dog meat. There is also an argument that not accepting dog meat as our unique culture is denying the value of cultural relativism. Under these circumstances, the government cannot help but be concerned about the issue of legalizing dog meat. If it legalizes it, it will face fierce criticism from animal rights groups and overseas, and if it postpones legalization, it will face another round of criticism for its cultural chauvinism.
Before discussing the pros and cons of legalizing dog meat, let’s take a look at the nutritional and cultural characteristics of dog meat. Dog meat is rich in essential amino acids and has a similar nutritional composition to beef, pork, and chicken. The Donguibogam describes dog meat as “warm in nature, which helps blood circulation, relaxes the five internal organs, and increases energy by promoting yang.” In addition, since dog meat is more easily torn apart when cooked, it is much easier to digest than other meats, and various cooking methods can maximize the nutrients in it, making it an attractive ingredient with many advantages.
Historically, dogs are believed to have been the first animals to be bred by humans on the Korean Peninsula, and traces of dog meat culture can be found in various historical sites and literature from the Three Kingdoms period. The culture of eating dog meat on the hottest day of the year is also a unique custom that has been passed down since the Joseon Dynasty. Representative cookbooks from the Joseon Dynasty, such as Joseon Musangshinsik Yoryeop, Gyeongdo Japsi, and Gyuhapchongseo, also feature dog meat dishes in detail. Korea is the only country in the world where the culture of eating dog meat is widespread. As such, dog meat has many advantages as an ingredient and can be considered a part of Korea’s traditional food culture. These characteristics are the basis for those who support the legalization of dog meat.
However, the real reason for the legalization of dog meat is related to hygiene. In Korea, the overall hygiene management of livestock products is carried out in accordance with the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act enacted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act defines livestock as cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, and other animals intended for human consumption (deer, rabbits, turkeys, geese, quails, pheasants, and donkeys). These animals are subject to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act and are sold and distributed through strict procedures. In fact, the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act covers the inspection methods, inspectors, inspection locations, and acceptance criteria for meat products in great detail. From the slaughtering, processing, and packaging methods to the storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of livestock products, all processes through which livestock products are delivered to consumers are strictly and hygienically managed by the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act. In particular, according to the enforcement rules of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, when transporting livestock products, they must be kept refrigerated or frozen through the cold chain system. The cold chain system is a system that prevents food from spoiling and deteriorating in quality and distributes food at a temperature lower than room temperature from the moment it is processed to the moment it reaches the consumer.
Meat is a food group that requires a cold chain system along with dairy products because its freshness deteriorates rapidly and microorganisms multiply and cause spoilage if it is not kept at a lower temperature than other food groups. However, since dogs are not recognized as livestock, all industries involved in the distribution and sale of dog meat are illegal. In other words, since there is no legal sanction, there is no need to transparently disclose the distribution and sales process, nor to go through hygienic and safe procedures. In other words, when dog meat is served on the table, there is no way of knowing whether the meat is edible or not, or whether the slaughter and distribution process was hygienic. Considering that the demand for dog meat in South Korea is still high, a significant number of people are currently at risk to their health and are not being provided with the right to know about dog meat products, which is a serious and major problem. After the government legalizes the dog meat industry, the slaughtering, distribution, processing, and sales of dogs for food should be strictly managed as with other meat.
It is also urgent to introduce a HACCP certification system for dog meat. As HACCP certification is now a requirement rather than an option for the processing and distribution of livestock products, dog meat must be provided to consumers in a safe and hygienic manner through HACCP. HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is commonly referred to as the “Hazardous Factor Focused Management Standard,” and is a system that ensures that hazardous factors are eliminated from the safety of livestock products throughout the entire process of livestock breeding, slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution. HACCP is applied strictly in accordance with the seven principles and 12 procedures. The factors that are designated as hazards are broadly divided into biological, chemical, and physical factors, including microorganisms, parasites, chemicals, pesticides, residual drugs, food additives, pigments, hair, dust, and metal parts. In addition, strict standards are applied to the temperature, pressure, pH, etc. of the workplace. Although HACCP certification is not a legally required requirement, businesses that are not HACCP certified often fail to gain consumer trust due to poor hygiene. Currently, there is no reason to choose the HACCP certification system in the dog meat industry because dogs are not legal livestock. It is expensive and difficult to ensure the transparency of the distribution process and emphasize hygiene, so it is likely that the HACCP certification system will not be introduced unless it falls under the legal monitoring system.
Opposing the legalization of the dog meat industry has the side effect of forcing the government to simply stand by and watch without any sanctions against the distribution and sale of dog meat, the origin and process of which are currently unknown. Considering that the demand for dog meat has been consistently high and will continue to be high, it is necessary to revise the law to define dogs for human consumption and apply the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act to dog meat equally to protect the health of the people and ensure safe food consumption. In addition to legalization, the HACCP certification system should also be widely introduced so that consumers can consume dog meat with peace of mind, just like other livestock products. Furthermore, it is necessary to think about the health of the people and the ethics of the industry.
