Early, Mid, and Late Boknal... Vegetarians Express Concerns
Animal Rights Groups "Meat as Health Food on Boknal, Breaking Wrong Stereotypes"
Experts "Guarantee Choice of Vegetarian Meals... Need to Improve Mockery and Prejudice"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "I don't understand why everyone goes to eat health food together on the dog days of summer."
A(28), a third-year office worker, said this on the 16th, the first of the three hottest days of summer (Chobok), expressing discomfort at being forced to attend a lunch company gathering.
A said, "It was a meeting where the manager was attending, so I couldn't skip it. When I entered the reserved restaurant, there was a bowl of Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) at every seat," adding, "Usually, we eat separately, but on the dog days, the entire department eats lunch together."
He continued, "'Why aren't you eating?', 'If you're vegetarian, why did you come?' are comments I often hear. I've even used stomach issues as an excuse to skip or just ate side dishes," adding, "I'm not saying everyone should eat vegetarian meals, but I hope people recognize that there are quite a few vegetarian employees and show a little consideration."
As the hot weather continues, more vegetarians are voicing their concerns during the three hottest periods of summer. Starting with Chobok on the 16th, followed by Jungbok on the 26th, and Malbok on the 15th of next month, group meals such as lunches and company gatherings have increased. Vegetarians say they reluctantly attend these meals but find it difficult to endure being forced to eat meat or being mocked for their dietary choices.
Recently, with increased awareness of animal rights, many people are choosing vegetarianism for various reasons such as personal beliefs or health. Even if they do not completely reject all meat consumption, many practice intermittent vegetarianism or aim for vegetarianism in their daily lives.
The vegetarian community 'Korean Vegetarian Union' (KVU) estimated the domestic vegetarian population at 1.5 million as of last year. According to KVU, the number of people who prefer or aim for vegetarianism is believed to be much higher.
On the afternoon of the 16th, members of the Citizens' Group for a Vegan World performed a "Stay healthy with a plant-based diet for Chobok" event in front of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Despite the spread of vegetarian culture, the perception that "summer health food is meat and seafood" still prevails. According to the distribution industry, sales of health food ingredients have recently surged.
Social commerce platform WEMAKEPRICE analyzed health food transaction amounts from the 6th to the 12th and found that seafood sales increased by up to 400% compared to the same period last year. Sales of chicken for traditional health foods like Baeksuk and Samgyetang also rose by 152% during the same period, and sales of Korean beef and domestic pork increased as well.
Animal rights groups argued that the prejudice that one must eat meat-based health foods should be broken and that healthy vegetarian diets should be consumed.
The Citizens' Group for a Vegan World (BISIMO) held a press conference on the 16th at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, titled "Take care of your health with vegan vegetarianism on Chobok," stating, "We prepared a performance to break the wrong stereotype that eating meat-based health foods on the dog days is good and to encourage and spread a healthy vegan vegetarian culture as an alternative."
BISIMO added, "Many people mistakenly believe that eating meat is good for health to overcome the heat, but meat consumption is the primary cause of all diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease," and "On Chobok, we urge the elimination of the wrong meat health food culture and promote healthy vegetarianism."
Experts suggested that while respecting the choices of vegetarians, social awareness of them should also improve.
Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Alliance, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "As vegetarian culture spreads, the number of people who prefer or aim for vegetarianism is increasing," emphasizing, "The right to choose meals for such people should be guaranteed, and prejudices such as forcing others to eat meat or treating them as strange should be improved in the future."
Lee added, "Although the perception that eating meat-based health foods in hot weather is good for health is widespread, many concepts of health foods are misunderstood," and "There are many vegan vegetarian menus such as namul (seasoned vegetable dishes), so I hope the summer health food culture will also change."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
