North Korea's state media has encouraged citizens to prepare dog soup and other traditional home-cooked dishes as a way to endure the sweltering summer heat. The unusual public health guidance drew international attention for its promotion of a food practice that remains controversial in much of the world. The recommendation reflects how the North Korean government frequently turns to domestically framed solutions when addressing everyday challenges its population faces.
- 1North Korea's state media promoted dog soup, known locally as dangogi tang, as a heat-relief remedy for the summer season.
- 2The guidance was framed around traditional Korean beliefs that eating hot, protein-rich foods helps the body regulate temperature in warm weather.
- 3Dog meat consumption, while declining in South Korea and largely taboo in Western countries, has deep historical roots in parts of the Korean Peninsula.
- 4The promotion is consistent with North Korea's broader strategy of encouraging self-reliance and traditional practices amid ongoing food and economic pressures.
A Traditional Remedy Framed as Public Health Guidance
North Korea's state-run media outlets issued guidance suggesting that dog soup and similar hearty, traditional meals could help residents cope with high summer temperatures. The recommendation was framed in the context of folk medicine and long-held cultural beliefs about food and body temperature regulation. In Korean traditional health philosophy, consuming warm, nutritious foods during summer is thought to restore energy and strengthen the body against heat fatigue — a concept sometimes referred to as 'fighting heat with heat.'
This kind of state-media food guidance is not entirely unusual in North Korea, where official outlets regularly offer citizens advice on managing daily life through locally available means. By promoting home-cooked traditional recipes, the government simultaneously encourages cultural identity and self-sufficiency. The messaging also sidesteps the need to address structural issues such as access to modern cooling infrastructure or reliable electricity, both of which remain inconsistent across much of the country.
Dog Meat on the Korean Peninsula: A Complex Cultural History
The consumption of dog meat has a long and contested history across the Korean Peninsula. For centuries, dog meat dishes — particularly soups and stews — were considered a source of stamina and nutrition, especially during the hottest days of summer known in the traditional lunar calendar as 'sambok.' Dishes like boshintang or dangogi tang were commonly consumed by older generations as part of broader culinary traditions tied to seasonal health practices.
In South Korea, the practice has declined sharply in recent decades amid growing animal welfare concerns and changing attitudes among younger generations. South Korea moved in recent years to formally ban the dog meat trade and consumption, reflecting a significant cultural shift. North Korea, by contrast, has not undergone the same public debate on the issue, and state media continues to reference dog meat as an ordinary part of the national food culture without the controversy it generates elsewhere.
Self-Reliance and Food Messaging in North Korea
North Korea has long operated under a state ideology that emphasizes self-reliance, known as Juche, which permeates nearly every aspect of public life — including how citizens are encouraged to think about food and health. State media regularly promotes the use of domestically available ingredients and traditional methods as both practical and patriotic choices. Encouraging citizens to make the most of what is available locally is a consistent thread in government communications, particularly during periods of economic strain or international sanctions.
Food security has been a persistent challenge in North Korea for decades, and the government's approach to public nutrition messaging often reflects the limitations of what is accessible to ordinary citizens. Promoting traditional recipes that rely on locally sourced protein, including dog meat, fits within a broader pattern of state-guided resource management. For many North Koreans, such guidance is both a cultural touchstone and a practical framework for navigating daily life under constrained circumstances.
Why it matters
This story offers a window into how North Korea uses state media to manage public expectations and frame everyday hardships — like summer heat — through a lens of cultural tradition and self-reliance. It also highlights the stark contrast between how food culture and animal welfare are evolving differently on each side of the Korean Peninsula. For international observers, moments like this provide rare, specific glimpses into the texture of daily life and official priorities inside one of the world's most closed societies.
Common questions
Is dog meat legal and commonly eaten in North Korea?
Yes, dog meat consumption is legal in North Korea and has historically been part of the food culture there. The government does not restrict it and, as this story shows, state media has even promoted it as a traditional health food. It does not carry the same social stigma in North Korea that it does in many other countries.
Why does North Korea rely on state media to give citizens cooking and health advice?
In North Korea, state media serves as the primary — and often only — source of public information, meaning it fulfills roles that in other countries would be handled by independent health agencies, news outlets, or consumer media. The government uses these platforms to guide daily behavior in ways that align with official priorities, including promoting self-sufficiency and traditional cultural practices. This makes state-issued cooking or health guidance a normal part of public communication rather than an unusual occurrence.
