The Ethically Dubious Soup Kim Jong-Un Loves To Dine On Is Illegal In The US

Among the many notorious and weird facts about North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un is his taste for extravagance and taboo delicacies. One of the most controversial dishes he's reportedly fond of is shark fin soup, a once-celebrated luxury in some East Asian cultures that has become a global symbol of animal abuse and environmental destruction. In 2022, after years of pressure by animal welfare and ocean nonprofits, Congress passed the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2021, making it illegal to possess or sell shark fins in the United States due to the brutal methods used to harvest the fins and the devastating consequences for marine ecosystems.

Shark fin soup has a long history in Chinese imperial cuisine, where it symbolized wealth, power, and prestige. The soup is made using the fins of sharks, which are prized for their texture rather than their flavor. To meet the demand for this status symbol, the inhumane practice of "finning" became widespread: Sharks are caught, their fins sliced off while they're still alive, and their mutilated bodies are often thrown back into the ocean. 

Shark meat itself is also unsustainable, but receives less attention, unless it's the Icelandic fermented shark that Anthony Bourdain refused to eat ever again. Some shark species have seen population drops of more than 90% in recent decades. Conservationists warn that removing apex predators like sharks from the oceans will destabilize entire ecosystems, yet the demand for shark fin soup continues in some parts of the world, fueled by tradition and status.

Kim Jong-Un's love of shark fin soup is emblematic of the North Korean regime's tendency to flaunt excess, even as most of the country suffers from devastating food insecurity and economic hardship. According to reports from defectors and international observers, the North Korean elite enjoys access to expensive delicacies like Kobe steaks, caviar, and champagne . Serving shark fin soup at state banquets or private gatherings isn't just about taste — it's Jong-Un's way to signal dominance and privilege.

Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese sushi chef who served the Kim family for over a decade, described making the soup for the political family after he defected to Japan in 2001. In an interview with Japanese media, he stated, "They both like shark fin soup three times a week." Fujimoto's stories don't stop there; he describes flying to Iran to pick up caviar, Denmark for beer, and Japan for fish. Nothing was too good for the family of Korean dictators.

Many American chefs and restaurants have voluntarily removed shark fin soup from their menus in response to legal pressure and growing public awareness of its cruelty. Chef Gordon Ramsey avoids the soup at all costs after starring in an investigative documentary about the brutal practice. In a country where food is weaponized and extreme poverty is widespread for everyday people, the presence of a controversial luxury dish like shark fin soup reveals a lot about Jong-Un's values and power plays in Pyongyang.