Black market for bull semen thrives as demand for premium Korean cattle surges

A photo shows a listing for hanwoo bull semen on a secondhand marketplace. Courtesy of reader

A growing black market for Hanwoo bull semen — used to breed Korea’s prized native cattle known for their premium beef — is drawing criticism from livestock producers, as government-supplied breeding material is being resold online at prices up to 40 times its original cost.

Despite being intended to improve the genetic quality of Korea’s premium cattle, the system is now drawing criticism for fueling speculation rather than supporting livestock development.

On online platforms like Naver’s used goods marketplace and KakaoTalk’s open chatrooms, hundreds of listings for Hanwoo semen can be found, with prices ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 won ($73 to $365) per dose — far above the official rates of 3,000 to 10,000 won.

Some sellers even offer bulk deals, listing 100 doses for as much as 35 million won. With no expiration date, semen collected from bulls slaughtered over a decade ago is still being resold.

The vast majority — 98 percent — of Hanwoo semen in circulation is produced by the Hanwoo Improvement Center under the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, which is commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The center manages about 100 proven bulls and produces approximately 2 million semen doses annually, distributing them through a monthly lottery system. Any farm with at least two cows over 13 months old can apply.

Once distributed, however, the center no longer monitors or restricts how the semen is used or resold. This lack of oversight has allowed a secondary market to flourish, where farmers and brokers resell high-demand semen at exorbitant prices.

“Some farms with more than 100 cows win up to 30 doses in a draw, buy them at 10,000 won each, and resell them for 1 million won apiece,” said a cattle farmer in Ulsan. “If you miss the cow’s heat cycle, it hurts productivity, and the quality of the bull’s genetics can affect the calf’s price by over a million won. That’s why people are willing to pay extra.”

A listing for Hanwoo bull semen posted on a secondhand trading forum. Captured from Naver Cafe

Draw to lottery

In Gyeongju, home to Korea’s largest Hanwoo population, another farmer likened the draw to a lottery. “Even farms that don’t breed cows are jumping in just to resell the semen for profit,” he said.

Despite being aware of the issue, the Hanwoo Improvement Center says it lacks the authority to intervene. “Once the semen is distributed, it belongs to the farmer. We have no legal grounds to regulate private resale,” said an official. “While such transactions may be ethically questionable, enforcement is difficult.”

Livestock groups are calling for reform. They argue that Korea’s cattle tracking system — which includes data on pregnancy rates and calf genetics — could be used to identify misuse and block ineligible farms from applying.

“If the system checked whether the semen was actually used, it could ensure that high-quality doses go to farmers who need them,” said a spokesperson from the Hanwoo Association. “This is essential to protect the integrity of the program and ensure it supports actual breeding rather than profiteering.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.