Independent Candidacy in This US Presidential Election
"Damage to Personal and Family Honor"
Robert Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate in the U.S. presidential election, has been embroiled in controversy over allegations that he ate 'Gaegogi' (dog meat) in South Korea in the past. Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy (abbreviated JFK).
According to Yonhap News Agency, citing the U.S. entertainment magazine Vanity Fair, "On the 4th (local time), Kennedy Jr. was photographed last year holding a roasted animal in his hand and biting into it whole with a woman." In the photo released by the media, Kennedy Jr. is posing with a woman while holding a stick with the charred bones of an animal skewered on it.
Vanity Fair reported that Kennedy Jr. sent a message to a friend who was planning a trip to Asia at the time, saying, "I know the best restaurant in Korea that sells dog meat for consumption." The magazine interpreted this as implying that he ate dog meat. However, the photo is said to have been taken in 2010.
After the photo spread, Kennedy Jr. explained, "The photo was taken in Patagonia with roasted goat." However, a friend who received the message at the time rebutted, saying, "Kennedy recommended visiting the best dog meat restaurant in Seoul along with the photo, emphasizing that it was dog, not goat. In any case, it is a bizarre matter."
Vanity Fair stated about the controversy, "The intention of the photo itself was to provoke laughter," but also claimed, "From the viewer's perspective, it reveals Kennedy Jr.'s lack of judgment and poor character."
The media criticized, "Not only did he mock Korean culture and reveal cruel thoughts about animals, but he also endangered the reputation of himself and his family."
Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. Despite his family's objections, he is running as an independent candidate in this U.S. presidential election and is recording around 10% support in opinion polls.
He has also been involved in controversies in the past. The New York Times (NYT) reported that it was belatedly confirmed that dead parasites were found in Kennedy Jr.'s brain, sparking controversy. In 2010, Kennedy Jr. suffered from severe memory loss, and brain scans revealed traces of parasites that had eaten away part of his brain tissue and died.
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