Online controversy over dog meat eaten by Olympic archery champ

By Park Sae-jin Posted : August 9, 2016, 10:58 Updated : August 9, 2016, 10:58

[Yonhap News Photo]


An online debate erupted in South Korea Tuesday after the mother of a prominent actress slammed female archery star Ki Bo-bae for eating dog meat as the cream during her fight for an Olympic feat in Brazil.    

The mother of actress Choi Yeo-Jin heaped insults at the Olympic defending champion via her Instagram, referring to a 2010 interview by Ki's father who attributed the mystical power of his daughter to boshintang (dog meat soup), a common Korean dish which has been claimed to provide increased virility.

"Her play has been good whenever she ate dog meat," Ki's father said at the time.

In her post, Choi's mother, an animal lover, poured insults on Ki: "Do you hit your mark when you have dog meat? I'm sorry, and I may sound ignorant, but I'm going to cuss a bit. You must be crazy. Are you trying to portray Korea as a savage country?"

As the post sparked an online controversy and furious comments from archery fans, Choi's mother posted an apology but said Ki should not have tarnished the nation's image. "I realize that what I said was excessive. But regardless of the consequences, my thoughts remain the same. It was just something I said to her father."

Choi also carried a written apology posted on her Instagram that said: "My mother really hurt Ki Bo-bae and everyone supporting the athlete with her post on social media. I would like to bow my head in sincere apology. I think her biggest wrong is that she tried to judge others based on her own perspective."

After cruising into the round of 16 on Monday in Rio de Janeiro , however, Ki told reporters that he would not bother. "I know... but I don't want to pay much attention to it."

Ki made her first international splash in 2010 by winning the team gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. She then became the double gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, winning both the team and individual title in her debut. No archer has won two gold medals in two straight Olympics.

The controversy over dog meat flared as awareness of animal rights has been on the rise in South Korea with many supporting stricter punishment for animal abuse. A 2015 survey showed 22 percent of South Korean households were living with pets. Violating an animal protection law could receive a fine of 10 million won (8,968 US dollars) or a one-year prison term.

Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com 
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