North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heat

North Korea's state media, Rodong Sinmun, has advised citizens to consume dog meat soup to combat the intense summer heat gripping the country. The newspaper, which is published by the ruling Workers' Party, cited a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital as warning that cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism can worsen due to heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Dog meat soup, known as dangogi guk, has been promoted by the North Korean government as a traditional health tonic, despite being an expensive dish beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens. The practice of consuming dog meat has been a long-standing part of North Korean culture, with the government promoting it through upscale restaurants and annual cooking competitions.

In stark contrast, South Korea has recently enacted legislation banning the breeding, slaughter, distribution, and sale of dogs for human consumption, with violators facing up to three years in prison or fines.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.