Asia03 August, 20263 min read
North Korea Urges Dog Meat And Fish Porridge As Heat Wave Kills In South Korea And Japan
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Northeast Asia's record heat wave causes deaths and illnesses across South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. North Korea promotes dog meat soup to fortify health amid the heat wave.
Heat, warnings, and deaths
A record heat wave has gripped South Korea, North Korea and Japan, with South Korea reporting temperatures in greater Seoul and nearby areas soaring as high as 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and Japan reporting more than 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms transported to hospitals during the week of July 20 to 26. In South Korea, the Interior and Safety Ministry said about 2,220 people have been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses since mid-May and 19 have died, while the heat has also killed about 17,140 livestock and about 160,000 farmed fishes.
In North Korea, Min Son Yong, deputy director of the internal medicine department at Pyongyang General Hospital, told the Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday that people should eat dog meat and fish porridge to supplement protein to beat the heat. South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to view the ongoing heat wave as “a national disaster” and make all-out efforts to protect lives, as the southeastern city of Yangsan saw temperatures reaching 42.5 Celsius (108.5 Fahrenheit), the highest figure recorded since weather observation began in Korea in 1904.
Dog meat advice and strain
North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun published a Korean-language interview with a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital offering heat-management advice that included lowering body heat and eating produce like watermelon, grapes, cucumbers, and oriental melons. For protein, the doctor, Min, recommended fish and red-bean porridge and a traditional dish known as dongogi (sweet meat), or dog meat soup, saying, "If the body lacks protein, immunity weakens and appetite declines,".
In Japan, the Environment Ministry issued a heat stroke alert for most of the western and southern parts of the country on Wednesday, while in South Korea a major heat wave advisory was in place Wednesday as temperatures rose in greater Seoul. The heat wave also disrupted sport, with a baseball game between SSG Landers and LG Twins in Incheon being halted for about 10 minutes after a spectator in his 20s collapsed and emergency personnel administered CPR.
Emergency measures and regional impact
South Korea and North Korea implemented emergency steps to protect citizens as the heat wave spread, with South Korea’s meteorological agency announcing on August 3 that the heat wave had spread to the greater Seoul area and western provinces. At the same time, North Korea’s official media reported temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius in many areas and Pyongyang experienced its fifth hot night in a row, while the Korea Meteorological Administration warned that temperatures in western regions may continue to rise with heat and tropical nights expected to persist.
In South Korea, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 14 heat-related deaths and 1,889 heat-related illnesses since mid-May, and Prime Minister Han Seong-suk directed ministries, agencies, and local governments to marshal maximum resources to confront the heat wave and drought. Utility companies activated emergency plans to ensure continued power supply amid rising demand for air conditioning, and officials expected electricity consumption to reach a new record by the end of August as the government raised the heatwave warning to the second-highest level.