North Korea recommends dog meat soup as a cure for heatstroke

As the Korean Peninsula is hit by a heatwave, North Korean state media is suggesting a variety of solutions, from dog meat soup to chicken soup, as ways to cope with the heat, and portraying Kim Jong-un as a leader enduring difficult conditions alongside his people.

State television reported yesterday that temperatures had reached 36,7 degrees Celsius, the highest since the country began keeping records. Along with a string of tropical nights, state media has paid unusual attention to the hottest weeks of the year, known locally as sambok, or "dog days of summer."

Among the more striking recommendations is dog meat soup, which is said to reflect a traditional belief that it helps people endure the summer heat. In a health article published on August 2, the ruling party's newspaper Rodong Sinmun quoted a doctor from Pyongyang General Hospital, Hina reported.

He recommends refreshing foods like watermelon, cucumbers, and mung beans, as well as nutritious foods like dog meat, fish porridge, and red bean porridge. The paper devoted a separate article to dog meat soup. It describes it as a traditional summer dish and recalls the old saying that "even if dog meat soup is spilled on the top of the foot during the dog days of summer, it becomes medicine."