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Korean bullfighting faces criticism over conditions, injuries

Published: 26 Jun. 2025, 17:12

Handlers pull fighting bulls into the ring by tugging on their nose ropes during a bullfighting event in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang, earlier in the year. [ANIMAL LIBERATION WAVE]

Korea’s traditional bullfighting events, long held under the banner of cultural preservation, are facing increasing criticism for animal cruelty, as new data reveals that many bulls refuse to fight and suffer injuries when forced into combat.

Fifty-four of 131 bullfighting matches held from February to June in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang; the Uiryeong and Changnyeong counties and Changwon, South Gyeongsang; and Dalseong County, Daegu, were canceled or cut short because the bulls refused to engage, according to a report released by animal rights groups Animal Liberation Wave and Last Chance for Animals on Thursday.

"After thousands of years in an agrarian society, domesticated cattle have lost their wild aggression," said Kim Doh-hui, head of the institute for liberation politics at Animal Liberation Wave.

In Korea, the traditional game involves two bulls butting heads until one surrenders, which is determined by a bull, out of strength, turning away and showing its back. No matadors are involved, and the bulls are not killed.

"The fact that 40 percent of the bulls outright reject fighting, and the rest require coercion, shows that this is a form of abuse," Kim added.

More than 60 percent of the bulls that did participate suffered bleeding injuries, according to the report.

Injuries often occur when handlers pull forcefully on the salkojul — a rope tied to the bull's nose ring — to provoke head-on collisions. The groups documented instances of severe nose trauma caused during this process.

A fighting bull pants with its tongue out after being forced to compete during a bullfighting event in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang, earlier in the year. [ANIMAL LIBERATION WAVE]

“The nose is the most sensitive part of a bull’s body,” the report noted. “Repeatedly yanking on the rope to drag the bulls into confrontation causes intense pain, and yet no disinfection or emergency treatment was observed when bleeding occurred.”

While dogfighting and cockfighting were outlawed in 2018, bullfighting remains legally protected under the justification of preserving “traditional folk games.”

Korea’s Animal Protection Act bans inflicting injury on animals for gambling or entertainment but explicitly exempts certain cultural practices.

A bull waits bound in place for nearly 24 hours ahead of a bullfighting match, unable to move freely, in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang. [ANIMAL LIBERATION WAVE]

Animal rights advocates argue that the distinction is inconsistent and outdated.

They say bullfighting today differs starkly from its historical roots in agrarian festivals, and now functions as a commercialized spectator sport.

Bulls are bred and trained specifically for fighting, sometimes through physically demanding exercises such as dragging heavy tires.

“Bulls are often tied so tightly in the arena they can’t move or sleep,” the report stated. “We’ve observed repetitive behaviors such as licking the sand, indicating severe stress and abnormal psychological states.”

A family with young children watches a bullfight in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang. [ANIMAL LIBERATION WAVE]

Public opinion has also shifted. A poll conducted by Animal Liberation Wave targeting 1,000 adults in the southeastern region — where bullfighting is most common — found growing unease about the practice.

Over 70 percent expressed concern about gambling activities tied to the events, while 62.1 percent opposed allowing children and teenagers to watch.

“Exposing young people to scenes where animals are forced into violent confrontations can desensitize them to suffering and create emotional confusion,” said Jeon Ga-il, a researcher at Yonsei University’s Institute for Educational Research. “These experiences can disrupt their emotional development.”

More than half of all respondents supported gradually banning or reforming bullfighting practices, considering animal rights and evolving social awareness.

“Modern bullfighting has become a profit-driven form of entertainment masquerading as cultural heritage,” Animal Liberation Wave said. “It no longer serves a communal purpose and continues to harm animals without oversight on the back of taxpayers' money. It’s time to end it.”

BY JEONG EUN-HYE [[email protected]]