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Selling or serving dog meat is considered a legal grey area in South Korea. Officially, the act is frowned upon but as new photo revealed the consumption of dogs is still tolerated due to huge public demand. It is believed one in three Koreans have eaten dog meat at least once, with one in 20 considered to be regular diners, according to a reports. The Moran market in Seongnam, the country's largest open-air dog market, is located just outside of Seoul and is around 70 miles away the PyeongChang Stadium, where the Winter Olympics will begin on Friday. Authorities claimed the dog meat trade was supposed to close in May last year – but the practice has just become more hidden. At the time a Seongnam city official Kang Won-gu said: “Starting off with the removal of slaughtering facilities and cages in the market, we will ultimately stop the dog meat trade in Moran Market.”

GETTY/Express/ Mark Kehoe Shocking images have emerged of the ongoing dog meat trade

Express/Mark Kehoe An estimated 17,000 dog farms still operate in South Korea with 2.5 million animals killed a year

However, new images reveal dog carcasses being sold in the market as well as traditional dog-meat soup. In an apparent move to keep the dog meat trade hidden from the outside world, the markets now ban visitors from taking photographs inside. Up to 80,000 dogs are said to sold and slaughtered each year to be made into the £5 soup – which local folklore claims will boost the eater's sex drive when digested. In one stall, three middle-aged women share the ancient recipe for the dog-meat Korean bosintang soup. A woman in her 50s told the Mail: “It's just like making any meat soup.

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“I can't tell you about how to slaughter the animal because it's not really allowed, it's tolerated. “But once you have the meat you cook it with vegetables and spices in a rich broth and serve it piping hot. It's very popular.” The carcass of a large adult dog sells for up to 200,000 South Korean won, $180 or £130, and about $18.00 per pound or £6.50 per kg - making the dog meat trade highly profitable. Two-month-old puppies are reportedly sold for £6.50 out of metal crates and cardboard boxes, with some signs saying they can be eaten too. A trader said: “The dogs are for pets or for the kitchen, it's up to you. After you buy a dog you can do with it what you like.”

NC Dogs are sold and slaughtered to be made into the £5 soup

One sign in market threatens trespassers with prosecution if they take photographs inside the property and a CCTV camera records everyone. The shocking revelation comes after 13 dogs rescued from a South Korean meat farm death row arrived in Britain last month to start lives as cherished pets. Pete Wicks from The Only Way is Essex met the dogs at Heathrow Airport after he took part in their rescue mission. Mr Wicks had teamed up animal welfare charity Humane Society International to help shut down the dog meat farm two hours’ drive from the capital Seoul. He said: “Nothing could have prepared me for how dreadful a dog meat farm really is.

EXPRESS Authorities claimed the dog meat trade was supposed to close in May last year