Dog meat has long been regarded as a stamina food in both Koreas, widely consumed on hot summer days in particular.

North Korea is believed to have a greater variety of dishes with dog meat, known in the North as "sweet meat." South Korean gourmets who have tried the delicacy in the North, say Northern dishes taste better.

"Sweet meat has various vitamins, including Vitamin A and B and is good for digestion problems and fatigue," the Choson Sinbo newspaper said on its Web site seen in Seoul.

The paper quoted a cook at a dog meat restaurant in the North's capital, Pyongyang, as saying an increasing number of women are visiting the restaurant.

"Customers get convinced about the efficacy of sweet meat when they see the skin of our employees and cooks," the paper quoted the chef, Ryu Jong Mok, 47, as saying.

The paper said Ryu also has "resilient and fine" skin.

Dog meat is also widely consumed in South Korea, especially among middle-aged men on belief that it's good for stamina and virility. But women in the South are usually less willing to try the food.

Earlier this week, a poll showed that more than 35 percent of South Korean dog owners also eat dog soup.

Dog meat is also eaten in some other Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos.

Activists regularly criticize the practice and call for bans on eating dog meat.