North Korea has called on people to beat the heat with dog meat soup
North Korean authorities are advising residents to combat the extreme heat by eating traditional hot dishes, including dog meat soup.
Temperatures on the Korean Peninsula are rising to 40°C, and South Korea has already reported fatalities due to the heat.
North Korean authorities are promoting dog meat soup and hot ginseng broths as home remedies to help people cope with the extreme heat.
The Korean Peninsula is experiencing a record-breaking hot summer. In South Korea, 23 people have died due to the heat, and last week, new temperature records were set for three consecutive days. On Sunday, the temperature reached 42.5°C.
State media report that temperatures in North Korea have risen to 40°C. Amid the heatwave, official propaganda, alongside its traditional bellicose rhetoric, began publishing culinary tips that supposedly help people cope with the hot weather.
A doctor quoted by the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun said during Sunday’s heatwave that dog meat soup is “useful for replenishing nutrients.”
And on Wednesday, the state news agency KCNA suggested preparing samgyetang—chicken broth with a chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, dates, and ginseng, which is said to boost endurance.
“A Korean proverb says, ‘like cures like,’” the agency noted, describing the dish as a traditional specialty of the border city of Kaesong.
KCNA also touted the “unparalleled medicinal effects” of ginseng from Kaesong, attributing this to “the special properties of the soil and water, as well as the unique cultivation methods.”
The Korean people consider the tradition of eating hot dishes during the hottest period of summer to be beneficial to health, the report states.
Such recommendations stand in stark contrast to traditional medicine in other Asian countries, where cooling dishes—such as winter squash soup—are typically recommended in the summer to combat the heat.
Dog meat soup was once a popular summer dish in South Korea as well, but its sale and production are set to be completely banned by February 2027.
On Sunday, as South Korea experienced record-breaking heat, an AFP journalist visited the Demilitarized Zone, which has divided the two Koreas since the 1950–1953 war ended with an armistice.
Across the demarcation line, in the distance through the heat haze, Kaesong was visible—a city that North Korean authorities call the birthplace of the famous soup.
Meanwhile, authorities in Seoul were sending emergency alerts to residents urging them to refrain from any outdoor activities.
However, on the outskirts of Kaesong—which could be seen through binoculars from the observation deck—people were riding bicycles and working in the fields.
Experts note that isolated North Korea is ill-prepared for heat waves, which, according to scientists, are becoming increasingly extreme due to human-induced climate change.
During the heatwave, North Korean state television aired footage from the beaches of Wonsan, where citizens were vacationing at a resort officially opened by Kim Jong Un last summer.
People were kayaking, floating on inner tubes, and riding jet skis along the coast of Kalma Beach, sending spray of seawater into the air.
Brotherly Broths
However, beyond this rare vacation spot and outside the spotlight of state media, the situation is likely much more dire for a country plagued by poverty.
Rachel Min-Yong Lee, a senior research fellow in the Stimson Center’s Korea Program, noted that state media’s emphasis on ensuring water and electricity supplies indicates a serious strain on these systems.
“North Koreans are likely suffering from the heat more than South Koreans because they lack such infrastructure,” she told AFP.
According to the World Food Programme, more than 40% of North Korea’s 26-million-strong population suffers from malnutrition and has difficulty securing food.
Meanwhile, Seoul residents are beating the heat with iced coffee, Italian gelato, and frozen acai berry puree.
Despite this, authorities have repeatedly urged people to stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces. During one baseball game, a man fainted from heatstroke.
North Korean state media regularly extol the “Juche” ideology, which means self-reliance.
They highlight Pyongyang’s military, economic, and cultural achievements as proof of the country’s superiority, while simultaneously calling Seoul its “most hostile” adversary.
However, some reports indicate that the two Koreas still share common cultural traditions.
This was reported by AFP.
The Foreign Ministry stated that North Korean missile launchers in Russia will be targeted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian intelligence has detected the Kremlin’s preparations for a new wave of mobilization measures this fall. According to him, Russia may also be planning to deploy an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea for the war against Ukraine.
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to confirm or deny reports that Russia may be bringing in another 30,000 troops from North Korea to fight in the war against Ukraine.
