The Korea Racing Authority said Tuesday it had rescued four horses left at an illegal slaughter site in Jeju and transferred them Friday to a designated horse welfare facility — the Jeju National University Horse Industry Professional Training Center.
The four horses — one Thoroughbred and three Hallasan ponies — had remained at the site even after media coverage of the illegal slaughter case broke. The Korea Racing Authority activated its emergency rescue system and worked with the Jeju provincial government and the welfare facility to carry out the rescue safely.
The Jeju provincial government subsequently obtained written statements from the horses' owners relinquishing ownership, clearing the way for the transfer. The Thoroughbred, confirmed to belong to a separate individual rather than the illegal slaughter farm operator, was also included after its owner voluntarily gave up ownership, with horse welfare cited as the priority. All four horses were moved to the protection facility.
Horse welfare facilities designated by local governments and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs — led by Minister Song Mi-ryeong — operate at one location each in North Jeolla Province and Jeju Island. The Korea Racing Authority has rescued a total of 12 horses this year in cooperation with local governments, with eight previously rescued at the North Jeolla facility. The Jeju rescue is the first such case on the island.
All horses, including racehorses, are privately owned by their registered owners, leaving the Korea Racing Authority with no direct legal authority to intervene in rescues or protection efforts. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Racing Authority are pushing to amend the Horse Industry Promotion Act to replace the current voluntary reporting system with a mandatory one.
Korea Racing Authority Chairman Woo Hee-jong said the horse protection monitoring center serves as "a single channel connecting everything from receiving reports of abused or neglected horses to on-site rescue." He added that the authority would "work to build an environment where horses are protected and respected by responding swiftly to cases of abuse and neglect through the monitoring center."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
