Nation's bear bile industry faces hard times

摘要

South Korea's bear bile industry is in steady decline due to a drop in demand for the substance, a traditional treatment for medical illness in many Asian countries. An industry group said most of the country's bear farmers haven't sold bear bile in five or more years and now face pressure from the government to sterilize or slaughter their bears. Farmers recently hauled several caged bears to the capital, Seoul, as well as Sejong to protest a government effort to wind down the industry. South Korea has about 50 farms with 1,000 bears that are kept in small cages and killed for their bile, which is used by some to treat epilepsy, hemorrhoids and other medical conditions.