North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heat

North Korea’s state media has recommended dog meat soup as protection against summer heat, reviving Pyongyang’s long-running effort to promote the controversial dish as record high temperatures grip both sides of the Korean peninsula.

Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party newspaper, published health advice on Sunday offering tips for coping with the heatwave and first aid guidance for heat-related illnesses.

In an interview with a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital, the newspaper warned that “cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism can worsen due to heat exhaustion and heatstroke”.

The paper recommended cooling foods such as watermelon, mung beans and cucumbers, along with “highly nutritious foods” including dog meat soup, fish porridge and red bean porridge.

Dog meat soup, known locally as dangogi guk (sweet meat soup), has long been promoted by the North Korean government as a traditional health tonic, although it remains an expensive dish beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens.