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Paris, 4 December 2001
Open Letter to the People of Korea
In only a few days, my Foundation has received nearly a thousand insulting and threatening messages from Korea.
I am particularly shocked by the aggressiveness of these emails, and extremely disappointed to see that the population did not understand my recent interventions in the Korean media.
I saw the investigations carried out in 2001 by the Korea Animal Protection Association concerning the markets. They are unbearably cruel, in particular for the thousands of dogs stuffed into small cages and then beaten, boiled, burned
… I've seen dogs who, shortly before being tortured, came up to their executioners, innocently hoping to be petted. These images haunt me and make me cry.
Defending and justifying this brutality in the name of culture is an absurdity !
We cannot accept the unacceptable. This is the reason why I have fought for years against the cruel practices of my country, such as the force-feeding of geese, fox hunting, bullfighting, the consumption of horse meat
… I devote my entire life to the defense of animals, those who have no voice, those left to fend for themselves. In this combat against suffering, my heart doesn't stop at the French border. The fate of baby seals in Canada, the martyred bears of Bulgaria, the agony of donkeys in Tunisia : all animal suffering affects me deeply.
I will not abandon thousands of Korean dogs to their sad fate. In my crusade, I am neither French, nor Korean ; I am just a defender of those who cannot defend themselves.
I dare to hope that all Koreans are not like those who recently sent those awful messages to my Foundation, and I dare to hope that many of you will not ignore animal suffering.
I have received the support of the President of the International Football Federation and the French National Team. I would prefer to receive the support of the Korean people who, alone, could abolish a brutal practice which sickens the world.