한국사람이 개고기를 먹는 이유 - 이영희

한국사람이 개고기를 먹는 이유
 
내  용
Name: Young-Hee Lee
Date of submit: 12th Dec. 2002

Title: Should Koreans be prohibited from eating dogs?

   Most nations in the world have a unique food culture depending on
the natural environmental conditions. In desert areas eating fish and
pork are prohibited because of the possibility of decay. In some
western countries pigeons and snails are eaten while in Korea dogs
have been eaten for thousands of years (Wood, 2002). The eating of
dog is viewed negatively by westerns because the role of dog plays in
society. However eating dogs is part of Korea’s culture which is
unacceptable from a western perspective  because the role of Korean
dogs is less important than cow’s.

   International animal rights activists claimed that eating dogs
must be prohibited in Korea because it  is like eating a family
member or a friend. Dogs are considered domestic animal and are
viewed as pets. They provide company, bring happiness. What is the
reason that a dog is a friend in western society? It would seem that
the reason is related to Europe’s natural environment. Europe
physical environment is not suitable for rice farming but suitable
for potato cultivation. However the potato yields are insufficient.
Therefore people who have lived in western society keep sheep to help
resolve the problem of a  shortage food. The role of a dog is very
important to keep sheep because farmer cannot control all the  sheep
on the farm without a dog’s help. Like Korean food culture, to kill
a dog is impossible because to kill a dog is like to kill a human.
According to this tradition, western people think a dog is a family
member and a friend.        

   However most Korean dogs are not a family member and a friend
unlike western dogs. The reason for this is rooted in rice farm
tradition in Korea. Koreans have cultivated rice in most areas since
the second century and cows have performed heavy labour. Therefore
the role of the dog is less important than the cow’s unlike western
dogs. For this reason, to kill cows for food was banned until the end
of 19th century in Korea. So people ate dog meat, which they could
obtain easily and which contained animal proteins. For this reason,
most of the Korean dogs are kept outside the house and are treated by
their owner like a cow, pig and chicken on the farm. Therefore
Koreans eat dogs as naturally as western people eat beef, pork and
chicken.

   In conclusion, eating dogs is unacceptable from a western
perspective. However when we consider that the role of most Korean
dogs is less important than the cow’s unlike western dogs, it seems
that  prohibiting eating dogs is not right in Korea. 

Bibliography
Wood, A. No dogs on Seoul menus, www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-
pacific/460627.stm, 11/12/2002.
www.admh.org/data/fifa.htm 5th Dec. 2002
www.bardotcum.wo.to 5th Dec. 2002.