IN response to Ms Barraclough's letter about the treatment of animals in South Korea (June 18), my family lived in Pusan, South Korea from 1984-1987 and more recently from 1997-2000.

From personal experience I can tell you that the Koreans are not the "barbarians" Ms Barraclough makes them out to be.

The Koreans are extremely caring towards animals. Most families have pets, including dogs, and they are not kept as a handy snack: eating dog meat is illegal and most Koreans find it as repulsive as Ms Barraclough. A decreasing minority may still have a taste for dog meat but then some French eat horse meat and some South Americans eat guinea pigs yet we don't brand them barbarians.

Why should the actions of a few draw condemnation on the entire population?

Sarah Parry,

Queen Victoria Street,

South Bank, York.

Updated: 12:22 Saturday, June 22, 2002