Kim Jong-un has ordered that pet dogs in Pyongyang must be rounded up, claiming they are representing capitalist ‘decadence’.

In July, the North Korean leader declared that having a pet was against the law. He stated that owning a dog is ‘a tainted trend of bourgeois ideology’. According to the outlet, a source reported to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper:

“Authorities have identified households with pet dogs and are forcing them to give them up or forcefully confiscating them and putting them down. Some of the dogs are sent to state-run zoos or sold to dog meat restaurants.”

North Korea’s ‘widespread food shortages’ are reportedly the reason behind Kim Jong-un’s shocking decision.

According to a UN report, the nation is facing severe food shortages affecting millions of people. As dog meat has long been considered a delicacy in the area, locals are fearful that their leader’s decision may be his solution to the problem.

In fact, there are several dedicated dog restaurants in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong-un ordered pet dogs to be taken away fro their owners. Although pet owners are against this new law, there is not much that can do to oppose it, as their actions may be considered as an act of defiance of their supreme leader.

The country’s widespread food shortages have also been intensified after North Korea decided to close its border with China due to the coronavirus pandemic. Traditionally, Beijing is Pyongyang’s main food supplier, but this inevitably changed after the border was closed.

Furthermore, referring to the possibility of COVID-19 spreading, the North Korean dictator has declared that the country should not accept any outside assistance. Combined with the number of natural disasters the nation has suffered in the past year, this severely affected the harvest.

Additionally, having in mind that consuming pork and beef in many North Korean regions is considered a luxury, locals are assuming the culling of pet dogs in Pyongyang may be an attempt to stave off hunger in the coming months.