Dog meat restaurants in South Korea are defying orders from the Government to stop serving it during the Winter Olympics, saying they will lose money if they comply.
AFP reports 12 restaurants in Pyeongchang county were asked by the government to cease serving the meat during the games in exchange for subsidies.
City officials have now admitted only two of the restaurants stopped serving the food and many of the others tried to stop serving the meat but gave up.
"We've faced a lot of complaints from restaurant operators that we are threatening their livelihood," Pyeongchang County government official Lee Yong-bae told AFP.
"Some of them initially shifted to selling pork or things instead of dog meat only to find their sales plunging sharply.
"They then switched back to dog meat."
The non-compliant restaurants have now been asked to update signage on their restaurants to advertise more "neutral" dishes and avoid upsetting visitors in town for the games.
Dog meat is a summer time delicacy in South Korea and residents are believed to eat about one million of the animals a year due to supposed energy boosting properties.
However, the tradition is now beginning to decline due to dogs' increasing popularity as pets. Many younger South Koreans will not eat the meat.
It is listed as "detestable" by Seoul but this designation carries no legal ramifications.
Newshub.
