The Role of Cattle as State Property
In North Korea, the primary reason beef is not consumed by the general population is that cattle are considered state-owned property, designated almost exclusively for agricultural labor. With the country facing chronic fuel and equipment shortages, oxen and cows are indispensable as draft animals for ploughing fields and transporting goods. This makes a live cow far more valuable to the state's centrally planned agricultural system than a slaughtered one for meat. A widely known Korean saying, “Fixing the Weayanggan after losing the cow,” illustrates the animal's historical value in farming, a sentiment that the modern North Korean state has weaponized for control. Slaughtering a working animal is not only an act of theft but also an attack on the state's farming capacity, a crime that the regime takes extremely seriously and punishes with harsh sentences, including death.
Prioritizing Production Over Consumption
The socialist agricultural system dictates that cattle are a communal resource managed by collective farms. The government sets production quotas and controls the distribution of resources, including animals. This top-down control ensures that the limited number of cattle resources are directed toward labor rather than feeding the population. Any individual who illegally slaughters a working cow is viewed as sabotaging the national interest, diverting a crucial asset away from its designated purpose. Exceptions are rare and highly regulated, typically occurring only when an animal dies of old age or by accident. In such cases, the meat becomes “authorized beef,” but much of it is reportedly embezzled and sold on the black market rather than distributed to the common people.
The Harsh Reality of Food Scarcity
North Korea has struggled with severe food shortages since the mid-1990s, with agricultural output often insufficient to feed its population. In this context, beef is a luxury the state cannot afford to produce for the masses. Breeding and raising cattle for meat is an inefficient use of resources in a food-insecure country. Instead, the government encourages the raising of smaller livestock that require less feed and can be bred more quickly, such as pigs, goats, rabbits, and various poultry. These animals provide a more sustainable protein source given the country's economic difficulties and lack of grain feed.
- Resource Inefficiency: Raising cattle for meat requires significant feed, land, and time, resources that North Korea's struggling economy cannot allocate for non-essential purposes.
- Alternative Livestock: The focus is on producing faster-growing animals like pigs and chickens, which are more common in markets and households.
- Rationing: The government uses food as a tool of control, and controlling access to premium resources like beef reinforces its authority.
A Tale of Two Tiers: Beef for the Elite
While the general population is effectively banned from eating beef, it is not completely absent from North Korea. The Pyongyang elite, including senior party officials, military officers, and foreigners, have access to beef, which circulates in a separate, controlled economy. This two-tiered system highlights the stark class divide in the country. Former North Koreans have revealed that the beef available even to the elite is often of poor quality, sourced from animals that have worked to death and are tough and tendon-ridden. The black market also exists, where some beef is sold at exorbitant prices to those with enough wealth and connections.
Historical Context of Beef in Korean Culture
Historically, beef was not a common food item for ordinary Koreans, as cows were highly valued as draft animals for farming. This cultural perception, where the cow was a vital companion animal, was largely upheld in North Korea due to the lack of modern agricultural machinery. The Korean Peninsula's mountainous terrain and limited farmland made large-scale cattle grazing unfeasible, a contrast to the wide prairies of countries like the United States. North Korea's isolation from the global market means it cannot import beef like its wealthier southern neighbor.
Comparing Food Sources in North Korea
| Feature | Beef (Working Cows) | Pork/Poultry (Individual & State Farms) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | State property, vital for agriculture | More accessible, raised privately and collectively |
| Consumption | Strictly forbidden for the general public; accessible only to elite and on black market | Available in markets, a more common protein source |
| Punishment | Illegal slaughter can result in death penalty | Limited restrictions; consumption is more common |
| Resource Cost | High cost (feed, land, time) and low priority for meat production | Lower resource cost, faster growth cycle |
| Distribution | Primarily used for agricultural labor; limited elite access | Distributed through markets and household farming |
Conclusion
The inability to eat beef in North Korea is a complex issue rooted in severe economic hardship, state control over resources, and the prioritization of agricultural production over consumer needs. Cattle are not livestock in the Western sense but are critical state assets essential for farming, a policy enforced with the harshest of penalties. This restriction, combined with widespread food insecurity, results in a population that relies on smaller, more efficient protein sources, while a privileged elite enjoys the rare luxury of beef. For a detailed report on the illegal slaughter of working cows, see this article from AsiaPress. The policy reveals the fundamental imbalances of North Korea's society, where a valuable resource is hoarded for a powerful few, while the general populace struggles with basic necessities.
A Deeper Dive into North Korea's Cattle Policy
The Enforcement of the Ban
North Korean authorities are known to actively enforce the ban on cow slaughtering. The Oxcart establishment office in each city and county manages and supervises all oxcarts and the animals pulling them, preventing private sale or disposal. This institutional control underscores that the prohibition is not merely a custom but a formal, government-enforced policy. Security teams and procurement managers monitor the movement and use of these state resources, though corruption and embezzlement remain common.
Historical Precedents
Even in pre-modern Korea, cattle were primarily used for labor. The Goryeo dynasty, influenced by Buddhism, even forbade beef consumption. While the Mongol invasion temporarily boosted beef production, and it became somewhat more common in the Joseon period, it never became the staple food it is in many Western cultures. North Korea's policies, therefore, resonate with a long-standing cultural appreciation for the cow as a beast of burden, but they intensify this historical context with political and economic scarcity.
The Consequences of Infraction
For an ordinary North Korean, illegally killing a cow is not just a crime against property; it is an act of treason. This is because it represents a direct challenge to the state's resource management and its authority. The punishment serves as a stark deterrent, a public example of the severe consequences of defying state control. The system ensures that the populace internalizes the cow's status as a tool for collective farming, not as a food source, thereby reinforcing the state's power and economic priorities.
