The practice of dog meat in Korea originated predominantly from the Khitan refugees who spilled into Korea during the Goryeo (Koryo) Dynasty. These people were assimilated into the Joseon Dynasty as the Baekjeong class, the first class of butchers, considered the lowest class in Joseon society. The people who traditionally consume dog meat have been predominantly descendants of this class and tend to be elderly, poor, and rural. For the past few decades, consuming dog meat has been controversial, especially within South Korea, due to conflicts between Korean animal rights activists calling for a ban of dog meat versus those who view the attacks as hypocritical for attacking only one type of meat consumption, rather than all meat consumption, and those who oppose attacking a minority practi