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Posted on 05/04/2002 6:17:46 PM PDT by aculeus
FOOTBALL fans travelling to South Korea for the World Cup this summer may be in for a shock if they take up the offer of a free pre-match hot dog - they'll get rather more dog than they bargained for.
Members of the country's National Dog Meat Restaurants Association are promising to offer fans free cups of the traditional spicy dog stew, boshintang, outside tournament stadiums. They will also distribute dog sandwiches, dog burgers and, to wash down the snacks, "dog meat tonic juice" in cans. "They will enjoy it instead of Coke," said Choi Han-kwon, one of the restaurant owners who will be serving up the dog delicacies.
World Cup fans will be offered the 'unique and traditional dishes' of Korea The World Cup, which Korea is co-hosting with Japan from May 31 to June 30, provides an ideal opportunity to promote dog meat as a food and end international "prejudice" against tucking into man's best friend, the association's spokesman, Park Sung-soo, said.
"By informing visitors that boshintang is one of Korea's unique and traditional dishes," said Mr Park, "we hope to eliminate prejudice about eating dog, which has been at the centre of international controversy." Fans attending World Cup matches will also be given leaflets explaining the nutritional benefits of dog meat.
The food will be offered at dog-tasting booths close to the World Cup stadium in Seoul, which will host the opening ceremony and the first match of the tournament between France, the reigning champions, and Senegal. There are also plans for further tasting events outside the stadiums in Gwangju and Daegu, although fans of England and the Republic of Ireland will miss out on the free food as both teams are due to play their matches in Japan.
Dog meat is technically illegal in Korea, having been banned by the government before the 1988 Seoul Olympics, although the law is not enforced. The meat is readily available in markets and restaurants and about 20 per cent of the Korean population are said to eat it regularly. It is especially popular among older men because of its reputation for improving strength and virility.
The tastings, however, are likely to provoke fierce protests from animal rights activists. One of the most prominent opponents is the French actress, Brigitte Bardot, who has urged the French team and others to boycott the World Cup.
Under methods now officially banned, dogs used to be hanged and then beaten with bats to soften the flesh before slaughter. They are now killed instantly by electrocution, although activists claim to have evidence that dogs are still tortured.
The publicity campaign by the restaurants association will also infuriate Sepp Blatter, the president of football's world governing body, Fifa, who last year wrote to the head of the Korean Football Association, Chung Mong-joon, condemning the mistreatment of dogs and calling for "immediate and decisive measures" against cruelty. In a statement, Mr Blatter said: "The World Cup would serve as an appropriate moment for Korea to show the world that it is sensitive to vociferous worldwide public opinion and that it rejects cruelty."
Dr Chung, who is also a vice-president of Fifa and a fierce political opponent of Mr Blatter, rejected the complaint and said that Korean eating habits had nothing to do with football's governing body. "I don't know why Fifa has raised the issue," he said.
The dog meat restaurant owners' association was formed in January in an attempt to counter the negative publicity in Korea and abroad and to promote higher standards in breeding and slaughtering.
The association also hopes to enlist the support of foreign residents in Seoul in its campaign. It plans to invite hundreds of expatriates to taste dog meat at local restaurants and will ask those who respond positively whether they would be prepared to serve as volunteers for the World Cup food-sampling campaign.
Some members of the association however, fear that the tasting campaign could be counter-productive by stirring up trouble among activists and football fans.
It certainly seems to have embarrassed Korea's World Cup organising committee. Lin Byung-taik, its spokesman, refused to comment. "This matter is too delicate," he said. "It's just a private matter."
Up North they've been reduced to eating bark.
Eeewwww. That one really bites.
Let mustard come over...
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