Probably not the case, sure it's a tradition especially in certain parts of the country, but most Koreans nowadays (and the vast majority of young people and urban people) are against it. 80% of Koreans and 70% of Chinese people have never even eaten dog meat in their life, and a lot of them have dogs as pets. Bonds being commonly formed with an animal would pretty much naturally make a group of people value that animal's life more
Also there's a poll showing most young Koreans that have eaten dog meat did so despite not wanting to; only ate it because their elders pressured them to
Am I wrong to say this is a case of orientalism/trying to adjust to "western" norms by the South Korean government?
Probably not the case, sure it's a tradition especially in certain parts of the country, but most Koreans nowadays (and the vast majority of young people and urban people) are against it. 80% of Koreans and 70% of Chinese people have never even eaten dog meat in their life, and a lot of them have dogs as pets. Bonds being commonly formed with an animal would pretty much naturally make a group of people value that animal's life more
Also there's a poll showing most young Koreans that have eaten dog meat did so despite not wanting to; only ate it because their elders pressured them to