opinion

BUSAN, South Korea -- First of all, I am more than just a bystander on the issue of animal rights in Korea. I joined an advocacy organization in 2005, and served for several years as the media production coordinator. In that capacity I reported on various activities related to the dog meat issue, and approached it as an investigative journalist, my career for five years before coming to Korea in 2001. In 2008 I founded the Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary, and serve as its administrator.  I am a professor of Spanish at a major university here in Busan, and have been involved in local media for several years as well.

WASHINGTON, DC -- I have a common sense solution to resolve, once and for all, most of the controversy surrounding Korea’s dog meat consumption. It goes like this:

BUSAN, South Korea -- Controversy over the consumption of dog meat continues in South Korea, with both sides passionate in their beliefs. Increasingly, more and more Koreans are lining up to fight an industry that they feel is cruel and inhumane.

BUSAN, South Korea -- Last year over dinner, my Kiwi friend and I happened across the topic of eating dog meat – he had eaten it before and said that he enjoyed it. As most westerners tend to shy away from such fare, it took me by surprise. After all, he didn’t look like someone who would eat dog meat. I mean, he didn’t have long arms with knuckles dragging the floor or over-sized fangs protruding from his mouth  – he looked like a “normal” person.

So went my stereotype.

My friend then added: “It tastes like beef or mutton depending on how it’s cooked.”

It gave me pause. How could he suggest that what most people in the world consider to be man’s best friend, tastes like a grocery store-shelf-farm-animal? He then asked if I would like to try some. I laughed. I like to try new things. Heck, I'm in Korea. Why not?, I thought.

BUSAN, South Korea -- Some people are more sensitive than others, and therefore there is this never-ending debate in the foreigner (oh gosh, had I better say “expat”?) community over the extent to which Koreans are rude or racist towards people from other countries. Everyone has their own opinion, informed by their own experience, and it seems that we will never agree: Do Koreans hate foreigners? Is it rude to stare? Can you even be racist against privileged young white people?

UPDATE: The accusations of jamming the phone banks and voting irregularities for Jeju to be on the New Seven Wonders list are now coming to light. According to the Korea Times: 

"Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has not paid for hundreds of millions of international phone calls its employees made over the past few years to ensure the country’s southern resort island was selected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in a worldwide poll.

A senior official overseeing the finances of the provincial government said Tuesday that it has asked KT, the country’s largest landline phone operator, to defer its phone bill indefinitely. He said the municipal administration is currently unable to make payments estimated to be about 20 billion won ($17 million). 

BUSAN, South Korea -- According to the 2011 World Reputation Index survey, South Korea ranked 34th out of 50 countries worldwide for its reputation in the eyes of the world, placing it just ahead of the drug warzone that is Mexico.

Canada ranked first in the survey with Sweden next, followed by Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. Pakistan, Iran and Iraq ranked lowest in the 50-country study, while Japan (12th), Singapore (20th), Taiwan (25th), India (27th) and Thailand (30th) bested Korea and China (43rd) among Asian countries. 

BUSAN, South Korea - The ‘tax and spend’ label is one that has saddled the Democratic Party for several decades, certainly for as long as I have been closely following politics, which is going on over 30 years. It is a label that is particularly closely associated with the Democrat Party of today, and many polls show it will be a major issue in the upcoming presidential, as well as congressional elections.