As of January 1, 2026, South Korea has imposed a complete ban on the farming of bears for bile extraction.
This decision marks the end of a cruel industry that has lasted for 45 years. In 1981, the government allowed the import and breeding of bears to support farming operations. However, in 1985, under pressure from the international community, Seoul halted the import of wild animals, and real legislative changes regarding bear farming only came into effect this year.
The changes to the wildlife law, adopted in 2023 and effective at the beginning of 2026, prohibit:
owning bears;
keeping them;
breeding;
as well as producing, consuming, and distributing bear bile.
According to representatives of the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment, measures are in place to protect the remaining captive bears. The transition period for complying with the new requirements will last six months, and violations of the law could lead to prison sentences ranging from two to five years.
Currently, there are 199 bears in captivity across 11 farms. Previously, 34 animals were freed, and negotiations are ongoing with the owners of these enterprises.
The cruelty with which bears were treated on farms has shocked and drawn condemnation from the international community for many years.
Investigations have shown that bears are kept in horrific conditions, confined to cramped cages barely larger than their bodies. The process of bile extraction is extremely painful, causing the animals great suffering. They often groan, bang their heads against the walls of their cages, and some even chew off their own paws.
Chinese media reported an incident where a bear, escaping from its cage, killed its cub and then ran into a wall.
South Korean farmers have kept hundreds of Asiatic black bears in tiny cages for years to extract bile used in traditional medicine, despite the lack of scientific justification for this practice. Similar methods have been used in five other countries: China, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and of course, South Korea.
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