North Korea Promotes Dog Meat Soup Amid Record Heatwave

North Korean state media Rodong Sinmun has urged citizens to eat dog meat soup (dangogi guk) as a highly nutritious remedy for the extreme summer heat. The newspaper published advice from a physician at Pyongyang General Hospital warning that cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hyperthyroidism can worsen during heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and recommended the soup alongside fish porridge and red‑bean porridge.

The dish, long promoted under Kim Jong‑un’s leadership, is presented as a traditional cultural heritage and is served in specialised restaurants and annual cooking competitions in Pyongyang. Former diplomat Ri Chol told This Week in Asia that dangogi remains popular despite being expensive and is most often consumed on the hottest days to help prevent heat‑related illness.

The recommendation comes as the Korean Peninsula endures its worst heatwave in a century, with temperatures of 35‑40 °C reported in North Korea and over 40 °C in parts of South Korea. Meteorologists note that Typhoon Dolphin moving toward Japan may sustain the high temperatures. South Korea, by contrast, passed a 2024 law banning the breeding, slaughter, distribution and sale of dogs for human consumption, with a three‑year transition ending in February 2027.