South Korea’s Bear Farming Days Are Over
South Korea announced it will officially end its shrinking but controversial bear bile farming industry this week, even though around 200 bears are still kept in captivity for their gallbladders. The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment said Tuesday that starting Jan. 1, breeding and owning bears, as well as extracting their bile, will be banned. The move follows a revised animal welfare law that carries penalties of up to five years in prison for violations.
South Korea is one of the few countries where bears—mostly Asiatic black bears, also known as moon bears—are farmed for bile used in traditional medicine or consumed as a food believed to boost vitality and stamina. However, the practice has sharply declined over the past 20 years due to doubts about its medicinal benefits, the availability of cheaper alternatives, and growing public concern over animal cruelty, according to the Associated Press.
The new ban is part of a broader 2022 agreement among officials, farmers, and animal rights advocates to phase out bear bile farming entirely by 2026. Under the plan, animal welfare groups will handle the purchase of bears from farms, while the government will provide facilities to care for them. So far this year, 21 bears have been relocated to a government-run sanctuary. Still, 199 bears remain on 11 farms due to disputes over compensation for farmers. The Environment Ministry said farmers will have a six-month grace period but will face legal consequences if they continue extracting bile. The ministry also pledged financial support for farmers to care for the bears until they are sold and moved.
“Our plan to end bear bile farming is an expression of our commitment to improving the welfare of wild animals and fulfilling our international responsibilities,” Environment Minister Kim Sungwhan said. “We will work to protect every bear until the last one.”
Kim KwangSoo, a farmer who owns 78 bears, criticized the policy, saying that other farmers sold their bears at very low prices because of financial strain, though he has not sold any of his own. “This is a very bad policy,” said Kim, secretary-general of a bear farmers’ association.
Animal rights groups have called on the government to expand facilities for rescued bears. Sangkyung Lee, campaign manager at Humane World for Animals Korea, urged stronger government action to remove the remaining bears from captivity without delay and to support private sanctuaries that can provide “a life of peace and relative freedom in natural surroundings.”
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