(KR) We'll eat dogs if we want to, says South Korea

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Ananova:

The co-hosts of next year's World Cup are urging the world to stop

criticising South Korea's dog-eating culture.

 

The country has vowed to launch a campaign against foreign opponents of the

nation's centuries-old culinary tradition.

 

A joint statement signed by 166 civic leaders said the issue of dog meat was

a " matter of national pride " .

 

It added: " We have built our food culture through thousands of years.

Criticising us as ' for our food culture is tantamount to criticising our

thousands-of-years-old culture itself. "

 

About three million of South Korea's 47 million people are believed to eat

dog meat as a delicacy.

 

In November, Fifa president Sepp Blatter urged Koreans to stop eating dog

meat during the tournament.

 

International animal rights activists, most notably Brigitte Bardot, have

renewed their criticism of the custom ahead of next year's World Cup finals,

which South Korea co-hosts with Japan. Bardot called Koreans' habit of

eating canine flesh " barbarous " .

 

They said that those criticising the dog-eating tradition were

" self-righteous barbarians " themselves because they refused to understand

the culture of other people.

 

It added: " So far we have responded to the criticism individually or shown

no reaction at all, but from now on, we will respond collectively and in an

organised manner. "

 

South Koreans slaughter only dogs raised for their meat for eating, not pet

dogs.

 

Story filed: 06:56 Thursday 20th December 2001