Cruelty or Cuisine? Crowned Live Lobster Display at a Restaurant Sparks Ethical Debate

A restaurant in Seoul has ignited controversy after serving a lobster with its body severed, adorned with a crown, and visibly writhing on customers’ plates. 

On Monday, several online communities shared a video titled “Lobster Restaurant Causing a Stir on Instagram.” The footage features a couple who met through a dating reality show and are dining at the restaurant where the controversial lobster dish was served. In the video, the lobster is seen with its body cut off, wearing a crown, and moving its claws. Each claw holds a letter and a flower, adding to the bizarre presentation.

Viewers responded predominantly with negative reactions. Comments ranged from “This is bizarre. A live lobster,” to “No matter what, it’s a life. What’s with putting a crown on it?” and “Is it funny to watch a creature in pain while wearing a crown? At least show some minimal respect for life.”

In recent years, several countries have begun to regulate the cooking of live invertebrates, such as lobsters, crabs, octopuses, and squids, under animal welfare laws.

In 2018, Switzerland amended its animal protection law to prohibit cooking crustaceans alive. The law mandates that lobsters must be stunned before being placed in boiling water or killed painlessly during cooking. Similar regulations have been adopted in Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Italy’s Supreme Court fined a restaurant in Florence €5,000 (approximately $5,300) for tying a lobster’s claws and placing it on ice, actions deemed inhumane under the new standards.

Crustaceans are not protected species in South Korea. Under the current animal protection law, animals are defined as “vertebrates with a developed nervous system capable of feeling pain.” Invertebrates, like crustaceans, fall outside the law’s jurisdiction.