South Korea has officially banned the breeding of bears in captivity and the extraction of their bile, ending a practice that kept thousands of Asiatic black bears confined in small cages for decades. The legislation, passed by South Korea’s National Assembly in 2024 C.E., gives the country’s remaining captive bears a path to sanctuary and marks one of the most significant animal welfare victories in East Asian history.
At a glance
- Bear bile farming ban: South Korea’s National Assembly passed a law in 2024 C.E. prohibiting both the breeding of bears in captivity and the extraction of bile, which had been legal since the 1980s C.E. under a government program meant to reduce poaching of wild bears.
- Captive bear population: An estimated 300 to 400 Asiatic black bears — a species listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List — remain on farming operations in South Korea, and the new law requires they be transferred to sanctuaries or government care.
- Animal welfare movement: Campaigns led by organizations including Animals Asia and local Korean groups built public pressure over many years, with growing opposition from younger South Koreans who rejected the practice on ethical grounds.
Why this matters beyond South Korea
Bear bile has been used in traditional medicine across parts of East and Southeast Asia for centuries, valued for a compound called ursodeoxycholic acid, or UDCA. Synthetic versions of UDCA have been widely available for decades and are approved for medical use around the world — meaning the farming of live bears for bile has long been medically unnecessary.
South Korea’s decision sends a signal to neighboring countries where bear bile farming continues at much larger scale. China is estimated to hold more than 10,000 bears in bile farms, and Vietnam has struggled to enforce its own legal restrictions on the practice. A legislative ban from a developed, high-profile democracy in the region carries weight — both diplomatically and culturally.
The move also reflects a broader shift in South Korean public attitudes toward animal welfare. The country has in recent years debated and acted on multiple animal protection issues, including the regulation of dog meat consumption. Younger generations have been especially vocal in pushing for higher standards of animal care, and polling has shown declining support for practices once considered traditional.
What the law actually does
The legislation does not simply prohibit new operations — it addresses the animals already in the system. Farmers who have kept bears under a legal but tightly restricted framework since the 1981 C.E. government program will be required to surrender their animals. The South Korean government has committed to funding sanctuary care for the remaining captive bears, many of which have spent their entire lives in enclosures too small to allow natural movement.
Asiatic black bears, also called moon bears for the crescent-shaped marking on their chests, are intelligent animals with complex social needs. Animal welfare researchers have documented significant physical and psychological harm in farmed bears, including stereotypic behaviors associated with chronic stress. Sanctuaries that have rehabilitated former bile farm bears report that many animals recover meaningful quality of life when given space, enrichment, and veterinary care.
A long campaign, finally won
Advocates have worked toward this outcome for more than two decades. Animals Asia, founded in 1998 C.E. by Jill Robinson after she witnessed bile extraction firsthand in China, has been among the most prominent voices calling for an end to the practice across the region. Korean organizations partnered with international groups to build a coalition that ultimately persuaded enough legislators to act.
The victory is real, but implementation will take time and resources. Relocating hundreds of bears and ensuring adequate long-term sanctuary funding are complex undertakings, and advocates will need to maintain pressure to ensure the law is fully enforced. The welfare of bears already born into the system remains a practical challenge that years of policy work alone cannot instantly resolve.
Still, what South Korea has done is significant: it has drawn a legal line and committed public resources to making it real. That combination — prohibition plus funded transition — is the model that animal welfare advocates have argued for in country after country. In 2024 C.E., at least one government followed through.
Read more
For more on this story, see: Good News for Humankind
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Ghana establishes a major new marine protected area at Cape Three Points
- Alzheimer’s risk cut in half by drug in landmark prevention trial
- The Good News for Humankind archive on animal welfare
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