Full Breakdown
North Korea Pushes Dog-Meat Soup as Heatwave Hits the Peninsula
8/7/2026, 7:55:10 PM
Heatwave Prompts Unusual Dietary Advice in North Korea
State media in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has begun recommending traditional dishes—including dog-meat soup (dangogi guk) and ginseng-filled chicken broth (samgyetang)—as ways for citizens to cope with an intense summer heatwave. The guidance appears alongside footage of crowds at beaches and water parks in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, portraying a picture of resilience amid soaring temperatures.
Background: Record Temperatures Across the Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is experiencing one of the hottest periods on record. In South Korea, temperatures reached a peak of 42.5 °C in a major city, resulting in at least 23 heat-related deaths, according to local reports. The DPRK’s own state television announced that Pyongyang recorded 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) on August 7, the highest temperature since systematic weather observations began in the capital. Experts note that such extreme heat is becoming more frequent as climate change intensifies regional weather patterns.
State Media Health Recommendations
A health feature published on August 2 in the ruling Workers’ Party newspaper *Rodong Sinmun* quoted a senior physician from Pyongyang General Hospital who listed cooling foods such as watermelon, cucumbers and mung beans, and highlighted “highly nutritious foods” including dog-meat soup, fish porridge and red-bean porridge. The same outlet devoted a separate column to dog-meat soup, describing it as a traditional summertime remedy and recalling a national cooking competition held earlier in the year. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also praised samgyetang, emphasizing the “incomparable medicinal effect” of ginseng sourced from Kaesong.
Official Narrative Emphasizing Leader’s Endurance
North Korean propaganda continues to link the heatwave to the image of Kim Jong Un sharing the hardships of ordinary citizens. State television has repeatedly shown crowds at beaches, swimming pools and water parks, reinforcing the message that the leader endures the same conditions as the populace.
Data & Statistics
- Pyongyang temperature: 36.7 °C on August 7.
- South Korean heat-related deaths: at least 23 and “more than 20” reported by Reuters.
- Malnutrition prevalence: over 40 % of the DPRK’s 26 million population, according to the World Food Programme (cited by iOL).
- Record high in South Korea: 108.5 °F (42.5 °C) on a recent Sunday.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Temperature records: iOL reported temperatures soaring up to 40 °C in the North, while Reuters specified the 36.7 °C figure as the highest ever recorded in Pyongyang, correcting an earlier claim that the record applied to the entire country.
- Mortality data: North Korea has not released any figures on heat-related deaths, whereas South Korea’s death toll is reported variably as 23 and “more than 20.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “When temperatures climb above 40 degrees Celsius like they have now, people avoid going outside,” — Son Heung-seo, proprietor of Jangsu Samgye-tang restaurant in Seoul
The DPRK’s promotion of dog-meat soup underscores a broader strategy of using culturally resonant, albeit controversial, foods to address public-health challenges while reinforcing state narratives of self-reliance and leader solidarity.
