Many companies are rolling out vegetarian foods. In the West, when people order food, they are alerted to vegetarian menu items, but this is not the case here. However, recently, there has been more interest in and more controversy about vegetarianism. Therefore, through an interview with a student at Kyonggi University who is actually vegetarian, the Pharos wants to learn about vegetarianism and the misunderstandings and conflicts about vegetarianism experienced by vegetarians.

Interview

Q. Please introduce yourself briefly.

A. Hello, I am a 4th year male student in Kyonggi University.

Q. What kinds of vegetarianism do you know about and what kind of vegetarian are you?

A. I don’t know all sorts of vegetarianism. Vegetarians are classified as white and red meat eaters, and there are many different types depending on whether or not they eat seafood, eggs, and dairy products. I’m actually a Flexible Vegetarian, which means I am usually vegan, but in some situations I eat meat.

Q. Is there a reason why you adopted vegetarianism?

A. I am very interested in animal protection and health. However, I didn’t have much information about the subject, so I started studying documentaries and books to learn more. As soon as I realized how much animals were being exploited by humans, I couldn’t think of eating them. For example, milk is made by forcing cows to produce it, and we eat a hormone-injected chickens. In addition, many things are connected to the issue, such as clothing, animal experimentation, and environmental pollution. People don’t know how the things we eat come to us. As they say, “If we had to slaughter meat to eat, we would all become vegetarians.” However, I learned from studying about and practicing vegetarianism that we need to protect animals and the environment.

Q. How do you manage nutrition?

A. Vegetarians have to manage nutrition carefully. I heard that some vegetarians became unhealthy after they started vegetarianism. I’m sorry to hear that. After studying nutrition, people should practice vegetarianism. As far as I know, neither meat nor vegetables are better for our health. I also don’t ask people not to eat meat even though I am a vegetarian. Obviously, meat has nutrients that humans need. A piece of beef can fill the daily needs of iron, but vegetarians have to eat a bunch of vegetables to get the same amount of iron. Therefore, I take vitamins. One of the things most people don’t know if they don’t pay attention is that there’s a vitamin for vegetarians. Also, many people ask me, “How do you supplement protein intake?” There’s protein in grains and vegetables, however it’s only a slight amount. Thus, I tend to eat beans often, and they can be replaced with tofu, cashews, almonds and soybeans.

Q. Have you ever wanted to give up?

A. Not once, but sometimes I feel lonely because it is hard to find a vegetarian friend. The biggest problem is that I feel nothing changes despite my efforts. Nevertheless there are moments when I'm happy I started a vegetarian diet, such as when a cafe has the option of replacing milk with soy milk. At times like that, I think someone is trying to do the same thing, and if one person continues to walk the rough road, eventually there will be a smooth road. Thus, rather than wanting to give up, I want to create a smooth road so that someone can walk along the same path as me.

Q. What do you think about the recent controversy about vegetarianism?

A. Personally, I don’t think extreme actions are good. In the case of France, vegetarians burn meat shops or break into them. The extreme side certainly doesn’t look good. However, I think we need to think about why they became so extreme. I sometimes think that if there had been an attempt to understand, they would not have gone so far?

Q. What are the advantages of vegetarianism?

A. I didn’t become vegetarian because I was sick, so I didn’t clearly feel any change in my body. But to mention one thing, my stomach is very, very comfortable. I've never had a stomachache or indigestion after changing to vegetarian meals. Another advantage is that I feel less guilty. At least I don’t eat meat.

Q. Please say something to non-vegetarians.

A. I don’t think there’s only one answer in the world. It’s a bad idea to believe that someone is right and someone is wrong. I can’t represent all vegetarians, but as one person, that is my opinion. I don't think vegetarianism is necessarily the right thing to do. However, I think when someone does something, you need to consider their position. Why did they start to eat vegetables? Why don’t they eat animals? I can understand some people who eat meat because it's who I was in the past. If we can understand each other’s position more than now, I think we can smile and have a different diet.

Through the interview, we were able to get various information related to vegetarianism, such as vegetarian difficulties, nutrition management, the advantages of vegetarianism and reasons for the controversy that surrounds the issue. The Pharos hopes that everybody will understand each other and resolve misunderstandings and conflicts about each other’s diet.

74th Cub Reporter•KIM GANGTAEK• rkdxor753@naver.com

74th Cub Reporter•LEE JOOHAENG• silkyshine@naver.com