SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean dogmeat proponents have unveiled plans to deploy an academic dubbed "Doctor dogmeat" to counter foreign critics and popularise canine cuisine in the run up to this year's World Cup football finals.

A group of 100 dogmeat restaurant owners will set up a nationwide federation next Monday in a city on the outskirts of Seoul to outline plans to promote the meat to foreign tourists before and during the World Cup period, they said on Thursday.

"The new federation will promote the eating of dogmeat during the international event period by designating poshintang restaurants near World Cup stadiums as special places to serve foreign visitors," said Choi Han-kwon, director of the 21st Century Startup Research Institute which is behind the grouping.

Dogs are bred to be eaten in South Korea, notably in poshintang, literally "body preservation stew", which advocates say is good for your health and which is considered a delicacy by some.

The eating of dogmeat in Korea has caused particular alarm abroad and among animal rights activists in South Korea ahead of the 2002 World Cup soccer finals, as some dogs are beaten, burnt or hanged to make their meat more tender.

Next Monday's seminar in Koyang city on canine cuisine would feature "Doctor Dogmeat", Chungchong University professor Ahn Yong-keun, who boasts 350 canine recipes, Yonhap news agency said.

Ahn would present a development strategy for the Korean dogmeat industry, suggesting websites on opening dogmeat restaurant franchises and developing new recipes, it said.

The federation would create websites in English and Japanese to promote dogmeat during the World Cup, Choi said.

South Korea and Japan will co-host the World Cup finals, which are being held from May 31 to June 30.

This sucks. Someday humans will be eating humans .

I think it will come to that, sadly people become more heartless day by day...not really those who are "heartless" but those that make the heartless....we suck as a society...today we're mean little suckas

I hope something big happens and changes all that...

devils advocate here...

why do we feel repulsed by the eating of human, dog and less recently 'traditionally' eaten meats? what's the difference between eating your cow or sister?

Ethical difference. We are animals but we use our instincts the wrong way. We turned cows eating themselves for goodness sake. We wiped out animal that does not longer exist.

*dies laughing* Classic . . .

I don't really like dogs, but I'm not about to eat them, either. The whole meat eating thing freaks me out. I'm not a vegetarian, but . . . I prefer non-meaty whatnot.

Difference between eating your sister and eating a moo-moo cow? My sister has more meat.

i like meat. i don't eat dog because i'm too lazy to find one and prepare. maybe if i were in korea? i dunno. actually i've had the chance to eat really *weird* meats but haven't. and i've eaten meats a lot of you would find weird. if it's cooked well, most meats will taste good. as long as it's not looking at me or actually resemble the animal, i'm fine.

hehe @ duchess

Ever notice how the animal rights people only seem to be truly concerned about saving the cute, friendly animals? They have restraunts that serve rats in China. We eat lambs and sheep and cows and ducks and pigs and chickens. What's the big deal about eating dogs? As long as you aren't treating an animal as a pet, and are raising it like you raise livestock, where's the problem? Pigs test higher in intelligence than dogs in many cases. Why does no one champion the noble pig? Because they aren't nearly as cute, that's why.

Very true.

i love pigs. they're adorable. but i also like bacon, and a good roast.

*salivatating*

<- would become a vegetarian before eating dogmeat.



Flaming kitty on a stick however is an entirely different matter.

You would eat cats????

It was a joke - my dear, referencing a spell gone very wrong.

You put meat in front of me and I`ll try it.I still wonder what animal the kebab house makes their burgers from.

*shudders at the thought*

Aha! I knew that cat couldn't have caught itself on fire. You tied the poor thing to a stick and toasted it...you sick freak.

B.A.F.A. (By Assholes For Assholes) statement:

They're all pink on the inside!

Oh, my bad.

"Cripy Kitties"

think McD's will pick up on it?