Fw: from Merritt Clifton re Korea

[Guest guest]

-

" Elizabeth Forel " <elizforel

<ar-news

Saturday, 02 June, 2001 08:39

from Merritt Clifton re Korea

 

 

excerpts from an e-mail to me from Merritt Clifton concerning his trip to

Korea and his investigation -

republished with his permission.

 

 

FROM MERRITT CLIFTON ...

Meanwhile, my strategic thoughts are summarized below. Korea is a

very winnable location and set of issues. Unfortunately, the strategy to

date has been just about all wrong, because the average Korean knows little

more about what goes on in the dog meat business than the average American

knows about factory farming.

 

 

E-mail and direct mail attacking Korea and blaming " Koreans " instead

of targeting the specific abusers are accordingly part of the problem, not

part of the fix.

 

It is essential to understand that the live markets are damned near

invisible. Dog-eating etc. goes on, but--as with factory farming in the

U.S.--not where most of the public sees the animal care conditions or the

killing.

 

 

The biggest live market in Seoul--which we visited--is crammed

between the docks and the railroad yard, and is much smaller than anyone

would anticipate, just four short blocks long on one side of the street.

 

 

That's bad enough, but the next biggest place is only half that

big. We're talking about visibility lower than that of prostitution and

drug trafficking.

 

 

External campaigns directed at Korea are a wasted effort, because

it is too easy for most Koreans to believe they consist of economically

motivated lies and damned lies about things that no longer happen.

 

Koreans have to be educated that this is happening here, now, in

their cities--and have to be shown what they can do about it, because the

Korean democracy is really very young still, and even basic political

tactics are not well-developed.

 

 

Korea is NOT the Third World. It is in fact a very affluent place,

very dynamic, very young (40% of the population under age 30), full of

friendly and kindly young people who would raise holy hell on behalf of

animals IF someone asked. No one has. No one has ever done a direct mail

campaign, ad campaign, or any other kind of campaign on behalf of animals

within Korea, directed at Koreans. Yet the population dynamics indicate

that such a campaign would be immensely successful:

 

 

U.S.: 73% urban, 27% rural, 6% live on farms.

Korea: 72% urban, 28% rural, 7% live on farms.

 

 

Korean per capita income is about where U.S. per capita income was

in 1980, in terms of purchasing power. The educational levels are

comparable. The missing element is knowhow, organization, and funding to

really seriously launch an animal rights movement, with a high public

profile, led by Koreans. There are enough Korean activists, actually, to

staff a movement.

 

 

The fundraising potential is there to support it, too: 38% donate

to evangelical Christian churches, and 11% donate to the Roman Catholic

church.

 

 

But someone has to be funded to get out there and ask--someone with

a Korean face, speaking and writing Korean.

 

 

For that reason, one of the most useful things anyone can do is to

send cash to the Korean Animal Protection Association and International Aid

to Korean Animals, who may be reached at: <kkum

 

 

It would also be worthwhile to note that at least some of the people

involved in the dog meat traffic are essentially trapped there by family

ties and lack of education. You may find this exchange with Kyenan Kum of

IAKA enlightening:

--

 

Dear Kyenan:

 

 

I just spent several hours today sorting our photos of the Moran

marketplace. Most striking, to me, was one shot showing animals only in

the background. In the foreground was a young woman who was selling dogs,

probably as part of her father's business. I never saw anyone whose whole

posture and expression so clearly radiated shame. She hated herself. She

hated being there. She wanted out.

 

 

When Kim burst into tears, Kim tells me, this young woman gave

her a very sympathetic look.

 

 

If I happened to be a campaign organizer, and spoke Korean, I

would track the young woman down, find out her actual views and

circumstances, and see if she wanted to switch sides.

 

 

If she saw a way to do it (which might require finding another

way to make a living), I bet she would, even at cost of alienation from

her family--and I bet she would become a very effective campaigner, too,

much like Steve Hindi, an ex-hunter who became the most effective

anti-hunting advocate the AR cause has.

 

 

I could be wrong--but as a muckraker, my job is to see things

that others miss.

 

 

 

At 10:38 PM -0700 5/30/01, Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE.

wrote:

Dear Merritt,

 

I can say almost positively that the young woman you saw was not the

daughter of the dog vendor, but rather his wife. As you know, Korean women

look younger than their age. Dog butchers are considered lower than

prostitutes in Korean culture; a parent would not want his son or daughter

to enter this business.

 

Korea, as a patriarchal society, dictates that a woman should remain

altruistic to her husband, even if this means working at a job that makes

you feel ashamed. It is almost unfathomable to think that this woman dog

vendor would dare consider " switching sides " and betraying her family honor.

Sadly, even the young people who are interested in animals would have a

difficult time involving themselves in animal welfare concerns because their

parents would forbid them from entering such an unworthy, unsuitable

profession or hobby.

 

If I or my sister were to approach this dog vendor's wife, we would

likely be threatened. I'm sorry that I can't offer you more promising words

on this matter; I wish things were different in Korea.

 

--Kyenan

 

 

 

 

Best wishes,

 

 

Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE.