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Boycott World Cup Soccer 2002
Korea's Shame
In Defense of Animals/Korea World Cup Footballers Campaign Against Torture of Cats and Dogs
IF I TOLD YOU
that in South Korea, cats and dogs are killed for food,
WHAT WOULD YOU THINK?
If I told you In South Korea, it is common to eat dogs. This is not done in a humane manner, but by torturing them to death by hanging, strangulation, and beatings with such objects as bricks, large rocks, heavy rod-like objects and electrocution. They do this for long periods of time in order to terrorize and cause great suffering to the animal. They die a very slow and painful death. This brutal execution is done to dogs, because many South Koreans believe the flesh from a dog who is tortured to death has aphrodisiac qualities and tastes better.
Some South Koreans torture cats by hitting them on the head repeatedly with hammers, by placing them in sacks which are then pounded on the ground, or by other methods that produce slow and painful death. Dead cats are cooked along with ginger, dates and chestnuts to make a brown paste or "Liquid Cat" which is foolishly thought by many South Koreans to be a remedy for rheumatism and joint problems,"
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
If we are to do anything, we MUST do it NOW.
Korea Animals Protection Society (KAPS)
By: Kyenan Kum
Sep. 15, 2001
When I was a child growing up in South Korea, dog-eating was a fringe activity—like gambling or prostitution—that I knew existed, but had never witnessed. But one day my sister, Sunnan, happened upon a dog being beaten to death in a back alley. This, coupled with the poisoning deaths of our two family dogs, had a profound impact on us both, yet we naively assumed that these were isolated, unrelated incidents.
I came to the United States as a young adult in 1970 to study art; Sunnan chose to remain in Korea. In 1986, I was taken aback when my sister called to tell me that a dog-meat industry was in full swing in Korea, and that not only were dogs being tortured and consumed, but so were cats. A new tonic, goyangi soju or "cat juice," was being marketed as a cure for rheumatism. Before the 1980s, cats were never consumed, so this news was particularly disturbing. At my sister's request, I returned to Korea to assist in an investigation of these horrendous activities, and to help establish the Korea Animal Protection Society (KAPS). What we have learned about the magnitude of this cruelty and suffering is astounding.
Every year, 2.6 million dogs and countless cats are slaughtered and consumed in South Korea. Slaughter methods include hanging, electrocution, and beatings with pipes and hammers. Cats are often boiled alive, and dogs are routinely blowtorched to remove their fur and to brown their skin.
The myth being perpetuated by dog- and cat-meat dealers is that the more pain suffered by these animals, the more tender and aphrodisiac the meat is. Dog-meat (boshintang) stew is not an ancient tradition, as these dealers claim; the commercial trade of dogs for consumption began in 1980, when a boom in the Korean economy made the once-scarce "livestock" meats suddenly affordable. At the time, the dog-meat trade consisted of only a handful of dealers, who, fearing loss of business, quickly marketed the myth that dog-meat stew is a traditional "cure-all" health food.
These same dealers also began the practice of cat consumption in South Korea. Companions and strays are repeatedly bludgeoned with hammers or placed in sacks, which are then pounded on the ground. Dr. Kim Sung Yun, a medical doctor and professor researching rheumatoid arthritis at Hanyang Medical School, said in a Chosunilbo newspaper article that "cats are absolutely not effective in the treatment of arthritis. It's a myth." However, even research such as this has done little to dispel the myth.
Approximately 30 percent of the dogs consumed each year are stolen companion animals, while the rest are bred by "farmers" who raise dogs as a side business. Most of the cats are trapped in crude wire cages, causing extreme stress prior to slaughter.
The Korean government has failed to enforce its own 1984 Ministry of Health law, which bans dog-meat stew as a "disgusting food," and its 1991 Animal Protection Law, which bans cruelty to all animals. Occasionally, we will report extreme cruelty to the police, and if we are fortunate, we will find a sympathetic officer who will assist us "off the record," but Korean law enforcement has not been instructed to respond to animal cruelty concerns. The laws desperately need to be amended to establish a framework that will work on the local level.
Designating South Korea as a host of the 2002 World Cup soccer championship sends a clear message that the world accepts illegal industries and animal cruelty. Shocking new undercover video documentation of widespread dog and cat torture in flagrant violation of the laws has incited worldwide humane advocacy organizations and individual activists to demand an end to the slaughter and consumption of companion animals in South Korea. This is not an issue of "cultural differences;" caring Koreans and most people worldwide know that no animal should be tortured and abused.
I returned to the United States in 1997 to establish International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) for the purpose of raising global awareness of these issues. IAKA also works to raise international funds for KAPS, and we have ongoing educational, lobbying, and protest campaigns supported by animal activists around the world. We will continue our work until the cruelty ends.
Kyenan Kum is Founder and President of International Aid for Korean Animals
P.O. Box 20600, Oakland, CA 94620; (510) 271-6795
Korean Animals.Org
Source:
The Animals Agenda
Wednesday, November 07, 2001
Three England international footballers are backing a campaign demanding an end to the torture of cats and dogs in one of the host countries of this year's World Cup. Liverpool stars Michael Owen, Jamie Redknapp and Emile Heskey have signed a petition organised by animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Peta says dogs and cats in South Korea are HANGED BEATEN BURNED ELECTROCUTED & BOILED ALIVE before they are slaughtered and eaten.
Owen and Heskey - who are expected to play for England in the World Cup this summer - along with Redknapp, wrote on the petition: "We respectfully urge the government of South Korea to ensure that cats and dogs receive full protection from intentional cruelty and torture."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has also urged the Korean government to take "immediate and decisive measures to put an immediate end to this cruelty."
A spokeswoman for Peta said: "Before dogs are eaten, they are often strung up and beaten. Then they are burned about their bodies, purportedly to improve their flavor.
"Cats are thrown alive into boiling water to extract their juice for use in tonics. "The animals are kept in tiny, filthy cages for prolonged periods prior to their awful deaths." (All of this happens in the presence of the waiting animals.)
Other celebrities who have backed the campaign include Pamela Anderson, Jackie Chan and Bryan Adams.
Story filed: 21st February 2002
Source:
Ananova
World Cup Organisers Demand End To Korean Cruelty
The President of FIFA
(the International Federation of Football Associations)
has intervened to put a stop to cruelty to animals in Korea, one of the countries co-hosting the World Cup finals in June 2002.
WSPA Operation Director, Trevor Wheeler, who has visited several of Korea's DOG MARKETS welcomed the FIFA initiative, "Korea has long been regarded as one of the world's worst offenders of animal cruelty and I hope the World Cup will act as a catalyst for a permanent improvement in animal welfare."
Story
DOG On Menu For World Cup Fans
Restaurant owners in South Korea are planning to set up stalls at the World Cup to serve the traditional dog meat dish of poshintang.
Chungchong University Professor Ahn Yong-keun is to set up English websites with canine recipes for foreign fans.
Around 100 restaurateurs in South Korea are aiming to convince the world canine meat is delicious and healthy.
Choi Han-kwon, of the 21st Century Startup Research Institute, is reported as saying in the Daily Record: "The federation will promote the eating of dog meat during the international event period by designating poshintang restaurants near World Cup stadiums as special places to serve foreign visitors."
A special conference is to be held near Seoul to discuss ways of making the traditional dish more appealing to foreigners.
Source: Ananova
Story filed: 08:26 Friday 11th January 2002
DOG MEAT DEALERS SCRAP
PLAN
© The Associated Press
May 13, 2002
A group of South Korean dog meat restaurant owners said on
Friday that it has scrapped a plan to offer World Cup tourists
free samples of their dishes.
In late April, 150 restaurant owners said they would set up
stalls near World Cup stadiums during the May 31st through
June 30th tournament and offer free samples of steamed
meat, as well as soup, sandwiches and hamburgers made of
dog meat. The plan made government officials uneasy.
"Since our plan was revealed, we have come under pressure
from authorities and others," said Park Sung-soo, head of the
organization. "We will not go against the government's
wishes."
Concerned about its image, South Korea temporarily closed
down dog meat restaurants in Seoul when it hosted the 1988
Summer Olympics. It cited a law that bans sales of "unsightly
food."
About three million of South Korea's 47 million people are
believed to eat dog meat, and there are an estimated 6,000 dog
meat restaurants nationwide.
Advocates argue that dog meat is part of South Korean
cuisine, but international animal rights groups have condemned
the practice. Local animal rights groups had vowed to block
dog meat dealers from staging the street campaign.
South Korea and Japan will co-host the World Cup finals.
Free Dog Meat Samples to be Offered at
World Cup
April 30, 2002
A group of South Korean restaurant owners plan to offer
World Cup tourists free samples of steamed meat, soup,
sandwiches and hamburgers — all made of dog meat.
Foreign tourists can taste the Korean staple at stalls around
the country's 10 World Cup stadiums during the May 31 -
June 30 tournament, the group of 150 dog meat restaurant
owners said in a statement Friday.
They
neglect to mention that the animals are slowly beaten to
death...In Korean folklore, it is believed that the presence of
adrenaline in dog meat is a sexual aphrodisiac. Toward that
end, Korean Dog Meat restaurants use hammers and body
hanging to break bones that slowly tortures dogs to death.