Hounded by pet lovers, South Korean dogmeat proponents were forced to
postpone a major event planned to promote canine cuisine and fight off
international critics.

Feisty animal lovers' phone calls prompted the owner of the venue to
withdraw its offer to rent space to a dogmeat restaurant federation that
planned to launch a campaign to promote the meat to tourists before and
during the World Cup.

"There were complaints from animal lovers," said Kim
Yoong-kwan, spokesman for KT Corp, the state-owned telephone company
which owns the hall outside Seoul.

"We cancelled our plan to rent the building as we had allowed
them to use the building on the assumption there will be a seminar, not
something like an opening ceremony," he said.

Some 100 dogmeat restaurant owners were to launch their federation on
Monday with an appearance by a college professor dubbed "Doctor
Dogmeat" who boasts 350 canine recipes and a development strategy
for the Korean dogmeat industry.

Dogs are bred to be eaten in South Korea, notably in poshintang,
literally "body preservation stew", which advocates say is
good for your health and which is considered a delicacy by some.