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🇸🇬 Singapore /Health & Science

North Korea Recommends Dog Soup and Ginseng Broth to Beat Extreme Heat

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • North Korea's leadership is recommending home-cooked remedies, including dog meat soup and ginseng chicken broth, to combat a severe heatwave.
  • State media reported temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius in the North, while the South recorded a high of 42.5 degrees Celsius with 23 heat-related deaths.
  • The recommendations contrast with traditional cooling remedies in other Asian cultures and highlight North Korea's isolation amid climate change impacts.

As a sweltering heatwave grips the Korean peninsula, North Korea's leadership is turning to traditional home remedies, suggesting dog meat soup and ginseng chicken broth as ways to cope with the extreme temperatures.

beneficial for nutritional supplementation

— Doctor cited by Rodong SinmunDescribing the purported benefits of dog soup during the heatwave.

State media reported that temperatures in the North have soared to as high as 40 degrees Celsius. This comes as South Korea has experienced record-breaking heat, with temperatures peaking at 42.5 degrees Celsius on August 2 and attributing 23 deaths to the heat. Amidst the usual geopolitical tensions, North Korean media has interspersed fiery threats with humble cooking tips.

A Korean proverb says ‘like cures like’

— KCNAQuoted by KCNA when describing Samgye-tang as a remedy for heat.

A doctor cited by the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper recommended dog soup on August 2, stating it would be "beneficial for nutritional supplementation." Days later, on August 5, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) promoted Samgye-tang, a chicken soup stuffed with glutinous rice, dates, and ginseng, calling it a specialty of the southern border city of Kaesong. KCNA lauded the "incomparable medicinal effect" of the Kaesong ginseng, attributing it to the region's unique soil and water.

incomparable medicinal effect

— KCNADescribing the qualities of Kaesong ginseng used in Samgye-tang.

These suggestions stand in contrast to traditional cooling practices in other parts of Asia, which often favor remedies like winter melon soup. Dog meat, once a delicacy in the South, is set to be outlawed there by February 2027. While South Korea issued emergency alerts urging residents to avoid outdoor activities during the peak heat, North Korean state media showcased citizens enjoying beaches and engaging in activities, painting a picture of resilience. However, experts suggest that isolated North Korea is ill-equipped to handle such extreme weather events, which scientists link to man-made climate change.

The Korean people have regarded it as a custom good for health to make hot foods in the hottest period of summer.

— KCNAExplaining the cultural practice of eating hot foods during hot weather.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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