Seoul: South Korea is set to fully ban its decades-old controversial practice of bear bile farming next year, according to officials Wednesday, although about 200 bears are still in captivity. Since 1981, South Korea has allowed the import and breeding of bears in an effort to boost income for farmers in rural areas. Although bear imports were banned in 1985 amid growing international criticism, bears continued to be held captive for their bile and other body parts used in alternative medicinal treatments.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the revision to the Wildlife Protection and Management Act passed in December 2023 to formally outlaw bear farming. This week, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that the breeding of bears and the extraction of bear bile will be prohibited starting Jan. 1 next year. Authorities said 34 bears have been relocated to protection facilities so far, but 199 bears remain in captivity at 11 farms across the country as negotiations continue between animal rights groups and bear farmers over the purchases of the bears.
Among those purchased, 21 bears have been transferred to a facility in Gurye in South Jeolla Province, which can accommodate up to 49 bears. The remaining bears to be purchased will be relocated either to the Gurye facility or to public and private zoos. The construction of a second facility in South Chungcheong Province, initially scheduled for completion in April next year, has been delayed until 2027 after the site was flooded from heavy rainfall earlier this year.
Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the plan to end the bear farming industry reflects South Korea's commitment to improving the welfare of wild animals and fulfilling its international responsibilities. "The government will make every effort to ensure that every bear is protected to the very last one," he said. The ministry said it will grant a six-month grace period, during which the farmers will not be punished for keeping or raising bears, but warned that any attempts to extract bear bile will be subject to strict penalties.