Plus de chien dans la soupe en Corée

[babukiko]

Je me souviens d’un vilain débat, dans ce même forum, suscité il y a plus de 10 ans par le titre « ou manger du chien en coree »… Oeuvre d’un adepte du tourisme « authentique » à tout prix qui ne voulait pas comprendre que ce qu’il y avait de plus terrible dans la consommation de viande de chien, ce n’était pas le fait lui-même, mais le véritable calvaire que vivaient – et la mort souvent atroce que connaissaient – chaque année des centaines de milliers de chiens coréens dont l’élevage et l’abattage échappaient à toutes les règles d’hygiène alimentaire et de bien-être animal. Les choses vont enfin changer, comme l’explique cet article de brief.me publié ce 9 janvier :

« La Corée du Sud interdit le commerce de viande de chien

Le Parlement de Corée du Sud a adopté aujourd’hui à la quasi-unanimité (208 votes pour et deux abstentions) un projet de loi qui interdit l’élevage et la vente de chiens pour leur viande. Cette mesure survient dans un contexte de meilleure prise en considération du bien-être animal et de hausse du nombre de chiens de compagnie dans le pays, est-il expliqué sur le site du Parlement. L’entrée en vigueur du texte est prévue en 2027. « Bien que la plupart des habitants de la Corée du Sud ne mangent pas de chien », cette pratique persiste, particulièrement chez les générations les plus âgées, rapportait en novembre Humane Society International, une organisation de défense des animaux. Chaque année, en Corée du Sud, plus d’un million de chiens sont élevés et tués, souvent par électrocution, pour la consommation humaine, précisait-elle. Elle estime qu’au total, environ 30 millions de chiens sont tués chaque année pour leur viande en Asie. »

[fancynancy]

This is a positive development for animal welfare and dog lovers. I had a shocking experience with dog meat more than 10 years ago when I visited South Korea for work. I went out for dinner with some local colleagues and they ordered several dishes. I ate some without knowing what it was until one of them told me it was dog meat. They said it was a traditional delicacy that had an aphrodisiac effect. I acted normally so as not to offend the host, but in reality, I felt disgusted. Since then, I always ask what’s in my food before I eat anything.

[babukiko]

Thank you for your response, fancynancy.The same thing happened to me in the early 1980s, when my students took me out to lunch on a hot summer’s day. There was little awareness of any issue in those days. My wife, baby daughter and myself had already come across a display of dogs’ heads at Cheongnyangni market. The 1988 Olympic Games helped put the issue on the agenda. It took a while. But courageous activists in Korea, such as Save Korean Dogs, domestic political pressure, the increasing popularity of dogs as pets in Korean homes, the realisation of how badly meat dogs were treated, and international reputation made it happen. Millions of dogs – bred or snatched from the streets or stolen from homes, are still treated that way throughout South East and East Asia though. It is all part of our general disrespect for the meat we eat and the animals that provide it to us.

[fancynancy]

I initially thought dog meat was available only during winter, because when I tasted it, I felt really hot. You must have felt really hot if you had tasted it on a summer’s day. There are a lot of things I love about the culture of South Korea, but after you’ve spent enough time there, you start to see things like these and realize they’re not as good as you initially thought they were.

[babukiko]

I understand. Dog soup, which is what I had, is typically consumed during the “dog days of summer”, or boknal (복날). It’s a fading tradition, rooted (according to The Dog Days in Korea An Attempt to Get the Facts Right About “Bosin-tang” - Gwangju News) in the Five Elements Theory of oriental phylosopy, where the dog’s temper is represented as “fire,” and the hot days of summer are represented as “gold,” and according to the philosophy’s calculations, “fire” defeats “gold”… I am fond of Korea and have loved ones there. Countries and cultures are like people, riddled with flaws and contradictions, so obviously, the more you know them, the more you’re aware of their dark sides. If this knowledge doesn’t break your relationship, it will make it stronger.