Daegu Chimaek Festival Crowded from Opening Day... Calls to Halt to "Prevent Animal Deaths"

As the '2024 Daegu Chimaek Festival' opened on the 3rd, voices from civic groups opposing the event are growing louder. The groups are urging the festival, which is sustained by the death of animals, to be stopped.

'People Dreaming of Coexistence,' composed of 15 civic organizations including Daegu Animal Rights Action Begin and Vegetarian Peace Solidarity, held a press conference in front of the Dongin Building at Daegu City Hall that afternoon to raise their opposition to the Chimaek Festival.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, citizens are enjoying chicken and beer at the '2024 Daegu Chimaek Festival' held at Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Bitnari, an activist from Vegetarian Peace Solidarity, pointed out, "Countless chicks die immediately after hatching on the conveyor belt. Male chicks are sorted and crushed right on the conveyor belt because they cannot lay eggs and are considered economically unproductive." She added about the Chimaek Festival, "I hope it can be imagined and enjoyed as a festival dreaming of coexistence, not of someone's death or killing."

Lee Jae-hyo, an activist from Begin, also stated, "According to the government's Livestock Product Safety Management System, 500 million chickens lost their lives due to livestock farming in South Korea during the first half of this year." He criticized, "In this world we live in, it is rare for anything named a chicken to live a normal life. Chickens are overwhelmingly destined to die in absurdly large numbers."

Civic groups are voicing opposition to the Daegu Chimaek Festival.
[Image source=Facebook]

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Starting with the press conference on the 3rd, they plan to hold a debate titled 'Is the Daegu Chimaek Festival Good as It Is?' on the 5th. Then, on the 7th, they will conduct a 'Cube of Truth' campaign around Duryu Park, where the Chimaek Festival is held.

Meanwhile, the Daegu Chimaek Festival is one of the representative regional summer festivals. Last year, 85 companies participated, and over one million visitors attended the festival. About 1,000 foreign tourists came from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and other countries.

Now in its 12th year, the festival is literally an event to enjoy chicken and refreshing beer while watching various performances. This year, a space was also prepared where visitors can dip their feet in cool ice water while enjoying Chimaek. Additionally, performances and events such as K-POP concerts and Chimaek busking will be held, providing various attractions for festival-goers. The Chimaek Festival, which opened on the 3rd, will be held over five days at Duryu Park and the Pyeonghwa Market area.

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