North Korea holds contest to promote dog meat as summer heath food

By Minh Nga July 5, 2025 | 01:29 am PT

North Korea recently held a dog meat cooking competition in Pyongyang to promote the meat as a traditional summer health food and improve culinary practices, state media reported.

According to Korean Central Television, the event took place at a major restaurant in the capital, Pyongyang.

Referred to as a "sweet meat" contest, a euphemism for dog meat in North Korea, it drew around 200 participants, double the turnout from the previous year, Maeil Business Newspaper reported.

A Pyongyang official told the broadcaster that sweet meat soup is viewed as an energy-boosting dish traditionally consumed during the hot summer months. The contest aimed to help chefs refine their techniques and share recipes.

North Korea continues to encourage the consumption of dog meat. In 2022, the country designated sweet meat soup as a regional intangible cultural heritage, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The practice stands in contrast to neighboring South Korea, where a law passed in 2023 bans the breeding, sale, and distribution of dog meat starting in February 2027.