The North Korean government recommends that citizens cope with the heat by eating various foods, including "dog meat" soup, which it describes as highly nutritious, as the Korean Peninsula experiences a heatwave and soaring temperatures.
On 4 August 2026, foreign news agencies reported that Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, advised citizens to eat dog meat soup to help deal with the extreme heatwave affecting both North and South Korea.
The report stated that Rodong Sinmun published health advice last Sunday, providing information on health care during the heatwave, including first aid for heat-related illnesses. It featured an interview with a senior doctor from Pyongyang General Hospital warning that heat exhaustion and heatstroke may worsen conditions for patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and overactive thyroid.
North Korea's official media recommends that citizens eat cooling foods such as watermelon, mung beans, and cucumber, alongside highly nutritious foods including dog meat soup, fish porridge, and red bean porridge. The promotion of dog meat consumption has been a long-standing government practice, often presented as a nourishing food that helps cope with hot weather, despite the controversy surrounding dog meat consumption in many countries.
Currently, North Korea is enduring a continuous heatwave, with some areas experiencing temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius, while Pyongyang has recorded nighttime temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days.
Source: Rodong Sinmun