(, South Korean name) or (, North Korean name) is a

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

n soup () that uses

dog meat Dog meat, also known as fragrant meat or simply fragrant, is the meat derived from dogs. Historically human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed to a limited extent in ...

as its primary ingredient. The meat is boiled with vegetables such as green onions,

perilla ''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species '' Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and vege ...

leaves, and

dandelions ''Taraxacum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus has a near-cosmopolitan distribu ...

, and flavorants such as ''

doenjang ''Doenjang'' * () or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine used in Korean cuisine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. History The earliest soyb ...

'', ''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...

'', and perilla seed powder.2004 Seoul Shinmoon article
/ref> It is seasoned with ''

agastache rugosa ''Agastache rugosa'', also known as wrinkled giant hyssop, Korean mint, purple giant hyssop, Indian mint and Chinese patchouli is an aromatic herb in the Lamiaceae, mint family, native to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Russian Primorye, Taiwan, ...

'' before eating. The soup has been claimed to provide increased virility. The dish, as with all

dog meat consumption in South Korea The dog meat industry is currently heavily restricted and soon to be illegal in South Korea. On January 9, 2024, the National Assembly (South Korea), National Assembly of South Korea unanimously passed a law banning the production and sale of dog ...

, has become highly controversial in recent decades. There are now a number of significant legal restrictions around the butchering of dogs. According to a 2020 survey of South Koreans, 83.8% have never eaten dog meat before.

Names

There are a number of names for the dish.

History

Most scholars agree that people on the Korean peninsula have consumed dog meat for thousands of years. The history of is more recent. A 1849 book ''

Dongguksesigi () is a Korean language book from the Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by ...

'' contains a recipe for that includes boiled dog and green onion. 2008 Seoul Shinmoon article Boshintang is considered to be a similar dish to yukgaejang, which uses

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

as its primary ingredient.

Recent status

In June 2018, a South Korean municipal court ruled that killing dogs for their meat was illegal, though this law did not make it illegal to consume dog meat. According to a 2020 survey conducted by the

Humane Society International Humane World for Animals, formerly called Humane Society International (HSI) was founded in 1991 as the international division of The Humane Society of the United States. HSI expanded the HSUS's activities into Central and South America, Afr ...

of 1,000 South Koreans, 83.8% never consumed dog meat and had no plans to ever do so. 58.6% supported the outright ban of its consumption, with 57% of people responding that it had a negative impact on international perceptions of South Korea. On January 9, 2024, the South Korean parliament passed a law prohibiting the breeding and slaughter of dogs for consumption which will take effect in 2027 following a three-year grace period.

Controversy

Notes

References