Man chokes to death on live octopus dish

A man has died of a heart attack after choking on a “live octopus” dish with wriggling tentacles that was served as a local delicacy.

A South Korean man has died of a heart attack after choking on a “live octopus” dish with wriggling tentacles that was served as a local delicacy.

The 82-year-old could not be revived after he choked on the dish known as san-nakji and suffered cardiac arrest Monday in the southern city of Gwangju, the New York Post and Korea Herald reported.

He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Still-squirming octopus seasoned with salt and sesame oil is among the country’s most notorious delicacies, according to the outlet.

It gained worldwide infamy after an iconic scene from the 2004 flick Oldboy, where Choi Min-sik’s character devours a live octopus at a sushi bar.

Many videos have been posted on YouTube showing thrillseeking tourists trying san-nakji in local fish markets.

Before the latest case, several other people have died in a similar fashion.

The dish san-nakji is popular among thrill seekers. Picture: Facebook

Three died of asphyxiation from eating live octopus between 2007 and 2012, two others died in 2013 and a man in his 70s died in 2019, the Korea Herald reported.

San-nakji has been described as among the world’s most dangerous foods, alongside the likes of poisonous puffer fish and bullfrogs.

Though the dish’s name translates to “live octopus,” the octopus is actually killed before serving, with its tentacles cut into portions, CNN reported.

It is served immediately after slicing while the tentacles’ nerves are still active — causing the octopus to appear “live” as it continues to wiggle on the plate.

During a 2015 episode of Anthony Bourdain’s CNN series Parts Unknown, the famed chef used his chopsticks to peel a sticky tentacle off his plate as he tried the dish.

In what was dubbed the “octopus murder,” a South Korean man was sentenced to life behind bars in 2012 after blaming his girlfriend’s death on a san-nakji accident.

He was acquitted by the Supreme Court the following year for insufficient evidence, according to CNN.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.