As the Korean Peninsula swelters through a heat wave, North Korean state media has touted everything from dog-meat soup to chicken broth as ways to cope, while portraying Kim Jong Un as a leader who endures harsh conditions alongside his people.
State television reported on Thursday the temperature hit 36.7 degrees Celsius (98.1 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest since weather recordings began in the country.
With the accompanying string of tropical nights, state media has devoted unusual attention to the hottest weeks of the year, known locally as sambok, or the dog days of summer.
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Among the more eye-catching recommendations is dog-meat soup, reflecting a traditional belief that it helps people withstand summer heat. In a health feature published on August 2, ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun quoted a doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital recommending cooling foods such as watermelon, cucumbers and mung beans, as well as “nutritious foods” including dog-meat soup, fish porridge and red-bean porridge.
The newspaper devoted a separate feature to dog-meat soup, describing it as a traditional summertime food and reviving an old saying that “even if dog-meat soup spills on the top of your foot during the dog days of summer, it becomes medicine.”
The report noted that a national dog-meat cooking competition had been held earlier this year.
The state Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday also praised samgyetang, a chicken soup stuffed with ginseng, glutinous rice and jujubes, reporting that Pyongyang restaurants were attracting customers seeking relief from the heat.
Korean Central Television this week also aired segments on managing health during extreme heat, recommending drinks to hydrate and offering advice on swimming and outdoor exercise.
North Korea has not released data on any heat-related deaths. Neighbouring South Korea has reported more than 20 deaths related to the heat wave.
SWEATING FOR THE PEOPLE
Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme – Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.
Rodong Sinmun this week revisited a 2013 summer inspection of a construction site, where Kim’s clothes were said to have become soaked with sweat.
When an official urged him to avoid such trips during this time of year, Kim replied that “even if the weather is unbearably hot, work that must be done for the people should be done,” according to the report.
The newspaper also recounted how Kim pressed on through steep mountain terrain and a torrential downpour during a 2018 trip to find a suitable site for a hot-spring resort.
Another article recalled Kim visiting a pickled seafood factory at the time when temperatures reportedly reached 39 C, portraying him inspecting sweltering fermentation rooms while stressing food quality and hygiene.
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There have been no details, however, of what Kim is doing during the current heat wave.
State television has also shown crowds packing beaches and swimming pools at the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, Kim’s flagship east coast tourism project.
State media have also reported that Pyongyang’s water parks have been filled with visitors seeking relief from the heat. (Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim Editing by Ed Davies and Raju Gopalakrishnan)