South Korea has legislated to ban the extraction of bear bile.

South Korea officially banned the farming of bears for bile extraction on January 1, 2026. This move marks the end of the country's bear farming industry, which has lasted for more than 40 years.

The following is a brief overview of the background, process, and follow-up work of this legislation:

I. Legislative Background

• Industry Origin: South Korea’s bear farming industry began in 1981 when the government encouraged farmers to import and raise Asian black bears (moon bears) to obtain bear bile for traditional medicine in order to increase rural income.

• Declining demand: Over the past 20 years, the bear bile market has shrunk significantly as public awareness of animal health has increased, the efficacy of bear bile has been scientifically questioned, and cheaper synthetic alternatives have emerged.

• International Image and Pressure: Bear bile farming has long been criticized by international animal protection organizations, who consider it cruel and inhumane. As South Korea's international standing has risen, the government is eager to resolve this "historical legacy" that contradicts modern animal welfare standards.

• Situation in other countries: * China: It is currently the world's largest country for legal bear bile extraction, with approximately 10,000 to 20,000 captive bears.

Vietnam : Although the law has banned live bile extraction, hundreds of bears are still being kept as pets in illegal facilities, and enforcement and resettlement remain challenging.

Laos and Myanmar: Small-scale farms still exist.

II. Legislative Process

• Social consensus (2022): In January 2022, the Korean Ministry of Environment reached a historic agreement with the Bear Farming Association and major animal protection groups (such as Green Korea United) to completely ban the industry by 2026.

• Legal amendment (2023): In December 2023, South Korea passed an amendment to the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, providing a clear legal basis for the comprehensive ban.

• Effective Date (2026): The ban will take effect on New Year's Day this year. Under the new law, it is prohibited to breed or possess bears for bile extraction, and violators can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 2 to 5 years .

III. Follow-up Work and Placement Challenges

Although the law has taken effect, approximately 200 bears still live on 11 private farms in South Korea . Further work includes:

• Resettlement and Containment: The government is investing in the construction of two national-level bear sanctuaries, located in Gurye County and Seocheon County respectively. Some bears have already been transferred to existing sanctuaries, but the total number still exceeds the capacity of the sanctuaries.

• Six-month grace period: The government grants farmers a six-month grace period to transition. During this period, bear farmers will not be punished for possessing bears, but any bile extraction is strictly prohibited , otherwise they will face criminal prosecution.

• Economic compensation dispute: Disputes remain between the government and farmers over the amount of compensation. Farmers are demanding higher compensation to cover the cost of keeping the bear alive for the rest of its life, while animal protection groups are responsible for coordinating the purchase and resettlement of the bear.

Cheon JinKyung, head of the Korea Animal Rights Advocates, said, "It is certainly a good thing that the government is reflecting on and pushing for the end of the farmed bear bile industry, but it is regrettable that the supporting measures for protecting bears are still insufficient, and these bears lack a proper place to live."

• Full life cycle management: The existing bears are sterilized (most of which were completed between 2014 and 2016) to ensure that no new individuals enter the industry and to track each bear until it dies of natural causes.

This transformation is seen as a successful example of how Asian countries can navigate the conflict between wildlife conservation and traditional medicine.