Asia - Bosingtan (Hot dogmeat soup) - Where to eat in Seoul?

Hi,

leaving for Seoul in the beginning of next week, I would be really interested I sampling "bosingtan", the dogmeat soup. Does any of you folks has suggestions where to go?

Thanks
FlyingSwiss

Dog meat is in a legal gray zone -- it's not illegal, but neither is it regulated -- and, especially in Seoul where they've been touchy about Korea's image ever since the Olympics, it's pretty much off the radar. Things are a little different in the countryside, where butcher shops advertise with pictures of golden retrievers...

Anyway, we found dog meat in minutes simply by picking the shadiest alleyway we could find in Myeongdong, choosing a stew restaurant there, and asking for boshintang. They didn't have it, but we were promptly directed to a place next door that did. Trip report here. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/6012653-post20.html)

Are you interested in gaegogi/bosintang for the virility enhancing properties? If so, I have some suggestions that might help and which have a greater efficacy.

Dog meat is in a legal gray zone -- it's not illegal, but neither is it regulated -- and, especially in Seoul where they've been touchy about Korea's image ever since the Olympics, it's pretty much off the radar. Things are a little different in the countryside, where butcher shops advertise with pictures of golden retrievers...

Anyway, we found dog meat in minutes simply by picking the shadiest alleyway we could find in Myeongdong, choosing a stew restaurant there, and asking for boshintang. They didn't have it, but we were promptly directed to a place next door that did. Trip report here. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/6012653-post20.html)

I found it at a restaurant in a lower-level concourse of a mixed-use building in Mok-dong, not too far from SKS tower, so you don't necessarily have to comb the alleys.

Hi,

leaving for Seoul in the beginning of next week, I would be really interested I sampling "bosingtan", the dogmeat soup. Does any of you folks has suggestions where to go?

Thanks
FlyingSwiss

I do not think you will find outdoor english sign for the restaurant. Of course no english menu at the restaurant. Do not expect "bosingtan" in hotel restaurants in Korea

There are thousands of "bosingtan" restaurants in Seoul. But I recommend to go with local people..

Normally "bosingtan" costs $7-10. A little spicy. Maybe it is better to try steamed version of dog meat.

Usually chicken soup (samgyetang) is served at the restaurant also (since there are many koreans who do not eat dog meat)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyetang

Have fun..

Some will argue that this post is not "on topic". I think it is;

http://animalrightskorea.org/dog-meat-issue/current-situation-of-koreas-dog-meat-industry.html

http://animalrightskorea.org/yellow-dog-pictures.html

Here are some photos of what you are eating. There is an expanded photo array linked to this page.

A quote; "Dubious health claims are made about dog products, included the typical claim that it assists male stamina and sexual prowess. Such pathetic claims are made throughout Asia with regard to all manner of animal products to attract equally pathetic male customers"

I am aware of the old argument of others eating cow, pig, etc. But, the fact is that eating dog has been illegal in Korea since 1984.

The question of where to find this meal is similar to someone asking the question of where to purchase illicit drugs in countries where these drugs are illegal.

This entire thread should be removed.

But, the fact is that eating dog has been illegal in Korea since 1984.Source? I can find references that say that supplying dog meat in a restaurant is illegal. I can find nothing that says eating it is.

Moreover, FT does not ban threads asking, for example, where to buy knock-off designer goods, whose production is also illegal. So it is hypocritical to expect them to ban discussion of what is, de facto, a common occurrence in Korea.

Source? I can find references that say that supplying dog meat in a restaurant is illegal. I can find nothing that says eating it is.

Moreover, FT does not ban threads asking, for example, where to buy knock-off designer goods, whose production is also illegal. So it is hypocritical to expect them to ban discussion of what is, de facto, a common occurrence in Korea.

If you can find references....then why do you need a source....maybe a typo? In any case;

"The sale and consumption of dog meat is illegal in Korea. The ban was introduced in 1988 just prior to the Olympics in Seoul that summer because of the Korean governments concern about it's international image"

The website I linked to is the source....a reliable one. If you read it before commenting, posting like a moderator, then changing your post (which forced further comment by me as I did not initially want to play), you would realize this.

Here is another "source"...or do you mean "sauce";

http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/index.html

I don't know how you became expert at FT policy, let's leave this up to the moderators. Discussion of illegal activities has all sorts of legal ramifications for this site, that possibly FT does not want to engage in....but it slips by now and again.

I have notified the moderators, so we will see how they actually feel about discussion of illegal activities once they are informed of them.

Assertions on campaign websites are not what I would consider as a "reliable source". Can you point to anything which even makes a pretence at being objective?

But while you're looking, a page from the campaign website that you yourself linked says:For many years, the regulatory status of Dogs has been intentionally kept in a state of legal limbo by the Korean Government. This allowed government officials to placate local and foreign animal rights groups by telling them that Dog Meat in Korea was not legal. While at the same time, turning a blind eye to its’ wide spread practice in Korea.

Korean Animal Protection Groups have been campaigning to make the practice of eating Dogs clearly illegal and to properly enforce such a law. The Korean Government, however, proved that they have no intention of making dog meat illegal. On the contrary, they are taking the first step to make it legal by re-interpretation of the definition of “FOOD” as “anything edible” in the current KFDA’s (Korean Food & Drug Administration) food safety regulation.

At the same time, the Korean Government is revising the Animal Protection Law that will separate Dogs for Meat and Dogs for Pets, and providing legitimacy to Dog Meat Farms by requiring them to register. This is how Dog Meat was legalized in some isolated parts of China.

I made no comment on FT policy - I simply stated a fact about some illegal activities the discussion of which is, de facto, allowed on FT.

I would be interested to know what "legal ramifications" you believe discussion of illegal activities has for this site. I am not aware of any law anywhere in the world which makes discussion of illegal activities a crime. Down that very slippery path lie the thought police.

In the meantime, please keep the animal rights extremism somewhere else and let's leave this forum for its intended purpose of discussing all aspects of travelling in Asia.

Assertions on campaign websites are not what I would consider as a "reliable source". Can you point to anything which even makes a pretence at being objective?

But while you're looking, a page from the campaign website that you yourself linked says:

I made no comment on FT policy - I simply stated a fact about some illegal activities the discussion of which is, de facto, allowed on FT.

I would be interested to know what "legal ramifications" you believe discussion of illegal activities has for this site. I am not aware of any law anywhere in the world which makes discussion of illegal activities a crime. Down that very slippery path lie the thought police.

In the meantime, please keep the animal rights extremism somewhere else and let's leave this forum for its intended purpose of discussing all aspects of travelling in Asia.

Legal ramifications would be US Marshall intervention with charges of conspiracy to commit piracy/fraud and civilly patent/trademark infringement (in ref. to designer knockoffs). Kind of like a website giving instructions how to illegally download music using a bit torrent. These sites have been shut dow, sued and had heavy fines imposed.....by the courts from charges by the Recording Industry of America.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat#Korea (objective enough?)

Korean law states it is illegal to breed dogs for consumption.

Another thing to consider;

From a strict health standpoint, these animals are not good to consume. They are not treated for heartworm, roundworm, hookworm or other parasitic diseases. Do you really want to consume meat that is not regulated in any way?, as it is illegal to produce....therefore not inspected. The dog farms are filthy and uncontrolled. Disease in these farms is rampant according to eyewitness accounts by Korean people who see this in their own country.

The strays are a whole other story....and how do you know where the dog you are eating came from for sure. Stray dogs are victim to hundreds of virus, bacteria, parasitic and fungal diseases.....including rabies. These dogs never get immunization of any kind. There are cases in the Philippines where canine consumption has led to rabies, as the meat was not cooked at a high enough temperature.....and they barbecue over there!

Let's end this and let the moderators decide what to do in this instance. I disagree with you....you with me. Nothing is going to be solved by this back and forth.

"The sale and consumption of dog meat is illegal in Korea. The ban was introduced in 1988 just prior to the Olympics in Seoul that summer because of the Korean governments concern about it's international image"
No, that's incorrect. Selling dog meat in Seoul is banned (by city ordinance), but there are no restrictions in the rest of the country according to this WSJ article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121055167388783853.html?mod=googlenews_wsj). And BBC says (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/cooking_in_the_danger_zone/6551385.stm):

The regulations governing dog meat sales were removed following Western outcries around the time of the Seoul Olympics and the 2002 World Cup, theoretically making it illegal.

But as soon as the events were over, the farms and restaurants brazenly reappeared. Only this time, they were unregulated. ...

No South Korean politician dares risk international opprobrium by regulating the industry, yet no-one is prepared to ban it, which may drive the industry underground.

So there. It's not legal, and it's not illegal.

No, that's incorrect. Selling dog meat in Seoul is banned (by city ordinance), but there are no restrictions in the rest of the country according to this WSJ article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121055167388783853.html?mod=googlenews_wsj). And BBC says (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/cooking_in_the_danger_zone/6551385.stm):



So there. It's not legal, and it's not illegal.


I'm not sure the article is correct....there are a lot of other articles saying it is illegal throughout Korea. I found the Korean law....but I can't read Korean. So there.....you do have a beautiful picture of a "yellow dog" (aka "sweet meat") in your link though....and there is a photo show in your link that is very nice too. Thank you for the link.

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating the eating of dogs. The sign I saw was pointed out to me by someone who then launched into a rant about how it's disgusting, and how the government only cracks down when there's a big international event in Korea (1988 Olympics, 2002 World Cup, etc.), and then such places slowly emerge from the alleys after, when enforcement is more lax.

This will be my last post on this subject.

The OP wanted to get a location for dog meat soup and wanted a location where the dish would be served. The OP is FlyingSwiss, he is new to FT and doesn't have a location in his profile, but let's assume he is Swiss. Areas of Switzerland have a long tradition of eating dogs, even exporting the St. Bernard to Asia so that the dogs can be butchered. According to websites, and I don't know for sure if they are accurate, the Swiss love to eat dog. Here is one quote concerning certain areas from Wiki;

Switzerland

"According to the November 21, 1996, edition of the Rheintaler Bote, a Swiss newspaper covering the Rhine Valley area, the rural Swiss cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes. Dog sausage and smoked dog jerky remains a staple in the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Appenzell, where one farmer was quoted in a regional weekly newspaper as saying that "meat from dogs is the healthiest of all. It has shorter fibres than cow meat, has no hormones like veal, no antibiotics like pork"

I was not aware of this great cultural tradition of eating dog in Switzerland and I must apologize for taking this thread in this direction. I truly find this entire subject extremely troubling, as I am obviously a dog and cat lover and have two cats and two dogs playing on the floor as I write this.

There is an organization in Korea called Care;
4Fl. 84 Choong jung-ro,
Seodaemoon-ku
Seoul, South Korea
Tel) 82+ 2-313-8886


I have read a lot of their material on dog eating in Korea. I think it is the cruelty and torture leading to death that is the most troubling....not the consumption of the meat. There is a humane way to kill an animal for food and an inhumane way. I understand in Switzerland, the industry is regulated and the animals are put to death humanely. In Korea, this is not the case, because the belief is that the animal has to die in fear or else the adrenal glands will not force chemicals into their bodies as they die. This is inhumane.

This is a description from a Korean website;

"According to the farm owners, slaughtering dogs by electrocuting them reduces the quality of dog meat; therefore they usually hang them. Often the dogs are hanged and burnt (to remove the fur) while alive. The live dogs tend to move from pain caused by the fire and make it easier for the slaughterer to burn their fur off completely. In most cases, the frightened dogs have to watch their partners, friends and families get hanged, stabbed and burnt to death".

This is obviously inhumane and quite sickening.

My reason for posting on this thread was originally amazement that any westerner would be interested in sampling this meat. I was not aware that the Swiss are avid dog consumers. I guess this subject pushes a button that leads to the comments in the above posts.

I still wonder why anyone would participate in this, knowing the inhumanity and dangers involved, as the Korean system is not the Swiss system.

So, maybe my most on topic rhetoric would be to warn the OP of the dangers of consuming dogs that are not regulated or inspected and that have potential for great illness being passed on to the consumer.

I offer these two links for thoughtful pondering.....and I will not post again, as stated above.

http://care.savedogsinkorea.com-a.googlepages.com/main25

http://care.savedogsinkorea.com-a.googlepages.com/main2523