Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Loudog]

Personally I don't think there is much difference between eating a dog raised for food, then say a cow or pig. Why do westerners care so much? What business is it of ours if what another country eats? The french eat horse meat, the Japanese eat dolphins, the Eskimos eat whales, the Chinese eat...well everything that moves, should we be shocked and appalled?
How should we decided which animals are morally better to eat? Are they too cute to eat? Too smart to eat?

[sharkey]

Dogs and humans connect a lot better than any of the other animals.

[the ireland]

For me, alot of it has to do with the way they are killed. The fact that they are tortured prior to their death to help increase their adrenaline is quite horrible.

Because they are pets at home also has something to do with it.

I have worked in meat factories as a summer job when I was in my mid teens and have no problem with dead animals so thats not my issue and I have spent many hours cutting the necks of dead turkeys while their warm blood gushes out all over the place, but at least they were killed humanely (if it's possible to kill something humanely) by being hung by their feet on a line, head dipped in water with electricity running through it to kill them, and next up a person slits their neck to ensure a quick death.

* by the way this topic has been discussed alot

[ulsanchris]

Nowadays the dogs are supposed to be killed by electrocution. The problem is that some people continue to do it the old fashion way. tossing the dog in a sack. Then they hang up the sack and beat the dog to death with a stick.
Most people don't know this though. They just don't like the idea of eating dog. My philosophy is that as long as the animal isn't endangered (or human) and if i think it will taste good then eating it is okay.
I've eaten dog, minke whale (which isn't really endangered), elk, caribou, cougar, bob cat, goose, duck, wild boar, moose, pheasant, grouse, black bear, mountain goat, buffalo, kangaroo, and some more I can't think of at the moment. Just thought of some more: horse, and of course cow, pig, and chicken, and deer.
In my mind if you are going to eat one animal you should be prepared to eat any animal.

[Bloopity Bloop]

Wow. Some very thoughtful posts in this thread.

For me, I just can't break through my social programming and eat Lassie. I mean, my name is Timmy.

I did ingest dog in a sort of round about way, though. While living in Shanghai, I went out with a group of friends and we ended up at a Korean BBQ place. They saw dog on the menu and immediately wanted to try it. I ordered a pork dish and only realized after the meal that my friends had been using the same chopsticks they were using to eat the dog to eat some of my pork dish. So... dog residue? In any case, my having eaten dog is debatable.

[steveinincheon]

I picked monkey, because I have heard that the meat is too stringy and tough. I have also eaten a whole host of animals and smuggled a kilo of whale meat back into the US from Norway, and don't really discriminate about what I eat. All food sources were at one time living things. Biologically we are omnivores and are physically capable of consuming a wide range of foods. In the grand scheme of existence we really only spend a few short years atop the food chain - I plan on enjoying it while I can.

[VanIslander]

My vote was easy.

Don't eat Vegetarians!
How gross!
There isn't even much meat on their bones.
Yuck.

[Elitist]

[ntwrightsmom]

I hope not.

IT'S DELICIOUS!

[CentralCali]

Why do Westerners care so much? Perhaps for the same reason many Koreans do.

First, there's the incredible and intentional cruelty involved.

Second, there's the whole myth about "raised for food." The critters finding their way onto the dinner table are not what the apologists say.

Third, there are also cats in that "stamina" stew. Again, the apologists say it's made from dogs raised specifically for that purpose, but the reality is, it's anything that'll pass as "dog" to the consumer. And that includes stolen or lost pet dogs.

Fourth, it's not even supposed to be happening since sometime in the 1980s! This is yet another quite obvious failure of the Korean government to actually enforce its own laws.

That's why people, Korean and foreigner alike, care about this issue.

[oldtactics]

I find people who use the cruelty argument interesting - are you vegetarians? Do you consider the forced feeding and toxic conditions that cows and pigs live in in the US to be somehow better/less torture? Animals get abused every second on factory farms in the US - what makes dogs so much more special/worthy of concern?

Not challenging, just asking.

[Fox]

[tfunk]

I think it is more practical to advocate humane means of slaughter than a complete ban.

[DorkothyParker]

I never thought I'd say this but - I agree with Fox.
(Please don't tell MSNBC)

[Capo]

why would they stop eating something that is delicious and has other* benefits.....