NEED TO KNOW

• South Korea began bear bile farming for health purposes in the 1980s

• Though the bile is used in medicinal treatment for conditions like epilepsy and liver disease, criticism of the method has risen in recent years

• Starting on Jan. 1, bear bile farming will be banned in South Korea

Bear bile farming will soon be banned in South Korea after roughly 40 years, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The change is set to begin on Thursday, Jan. 1, according to the Associated Press. It stems from an agreement among farmers, animal rights activists, and the government, initially established in 2022. Activists will oversee the sale of the animals by farmers, and authorities will manage their post-sale placement.

As of publication, about 200 bears are being held for bile extractions across 11 farms in South Korea amid the ongoing disagreements over how much farmers should get for selling their bears, per the outlet. That number doesn't include the 21 bears purchased and relocated to a sanctuary in Jelloa this year.

Farmers have six months to sell their bearsone the ban goes into effect, and violators could face up to two to five years in prison, AP reported. The government will provide funds to farmers to care for their bears while they wait for relocation or purchase.

One Dangjin farmer, Kim KwangSoo, told AP that while he hasn't sold any of his 78 bears, he knows fellow farmers who have sold theirs at minuscule prices as they face financial hardships.

KwangSoo, who is secretary of a bear farmers' group, called the new regulation "a very bad policy," however, said he plans to "observe the law."

The practice of extracting bears' bile, "a fluid that's secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder," has long been used for health purposes as it can treat conditions like heart pain, epilepsy and hemorrhoids, according to National Geographic.

Bear bile contains more ursodeoxycholic acid, which can help reduce gallstones and treat liver disease, compared to the bile of other animals like cows or pigs, the outlet added.

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Still, since bear farming first surfaced in South Korea in the 1980s, criticism of the method has heightened in recent years as some question if it crosses the line of animal cruelty, according to National Geographic and AP.

"Our plan to end bear farming business is an implementation of our country's resolve to improve the welfare of wild animals and fulfill our related international responsibility," Environment Minister Kim Sungwhan said in a statement to the outlet. "We will strive to protect bears until the last one."

In November 2023, an Asiatic black bear used in bear bile farming, named Na, was rescued after being trapped in a tiny cage for 20 years in Vietnam. She was "finally" freed after rescuers from World Animal Protection convinced Na's owner to surrender her.

One month later, Buzz, a bear who spent her life in an "inhuman, unhygienic" cage, enjoyed the outdoors for the first time after being rescued from a bear bile farm by the Animals Asia organization. The organization had received a call from the Vietnamese authorities about a bear bile farmer looking to surrender their animals, and brought Buzz to Vietnam's Bach Ma National Park.

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