Escaped bears expose problems of inhumane bile farming in Korea Posted : 2021-07-10 11:00 gettyimagesbank Early this week, two young bears escaped from their cramped cages at a breeding farm in Yongin, south of Seoul. One was shot and killed hours after the escape, while the other is still on the loose. Similar incidents have occurred in the past in a country where bears ― mostly moon bears, or Asiatic Black Bears, on the endangered species list ― are kept captive for life for their bile and other body parts that are used in alternative medicinal treatments. The owner of the farm, according to environmental advocacy group the Korean Animal Association, operates one more farm in the nearby city of Yeoju and keeps a total of 100 bears in tiny cages in inhumane conditions.