South Korea unlikely to put its craving for dog meat on tight leash

"Do you eat dog?" — it's one of the most contentious questions a foreigner may ask in South Korea, yet the response and course of action frequently vary depending on the questioner's age.

"It's so tiring, I always have to clarify that I have never eaten it. Canine dishes are mostly for the elderly in South Korea, but foreigners often generalise the practice," says Park Eun-kyoung, a consultant in her 30s currently working in Germany, who admits to finding the question offensive at times.

"It carries a negative connotation, implying that Koreans eat something highly inappropriate and this culture is barbaric."

The government of South Korea enacted a new rule earlier this week that forbids the breeding, butchering, distribution, and selling of dogs for meat by 2027, so it appears that answering queries like these is becoming less and less common.

It will essentially put an end to a centuries-old custom. According to Dr Joo Young-ha, an anthropology professor at the Graduate School of Korean Studies, cows were so valuable in the past that, up until the late 19th century, a government authorisation was required in order to slaughter them.

Therefore, more protein sources were required. Dog meat was one of the greatest options available to residents of the Korean peninsula, and it was loved by people from all social classes, while some people chose to stay away from it.

If you talk to elderly South Koreans, many of them will still tell you how delicious it is, how easy it is to digest, and how much energy it gives you, especially in the sweltering summer months.