Running for humans, sold and slaughtered... The Tragedy of Gyeongju Horses [Hello? Animal]

Racehorse Value Measured Solely by 'Speed'
After Retirement, They Are Sold Off or Slaughtered
Animal Rights Groups: "Are the Sacrifices of Racehorses Truly Necessary for Humanity?"
"Horse Racing Industry Profits Do Not Return to Horses... Must Be Used for Racehorse Welfare"

Criticism from animal rights organizations demanding the establishment of a welfare system for racehorses is intensifying. Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] In the Netflix drama "Squid Game," the protagonist Seong-hoon (played by Lee Jung-jae) heads to the racetrack to increase the money to buy a birthday present for his daughter. In his first bet, after much deliberation, the horse he thought was a champion, number 9 "Triple Line," is overtaken by number 3 "Jack Prince," causing Seong-hoon to lose his money. If this scene were real, what would happen to Triple Line, whose performance has declined compared to the past?

The issue of racehorses used as human entertainment has been controversial many times in the past. The value of racehorses is determined solely by their "speed," so while their survival is not an issue, if they cannot run as fast as before, they are retired. Racehorses that can no longer compete are usually sold off here and there for riding, breeding, or are slaughtered for meat.

According to data received by Rep. Wi Seong-gon of the Democratic Party from the Korea Racing Authority, from 2016 to 2020, an average of 1,391 racehorses left racetracks annually in South Korea. Among them, 30% (422 horses) were sold for riding purposes at riding clubs, and 12% (166 horses) were sold for breeding. The fate of Triple Line after retirement is highly likely to be decided among these options.

Some are also slaughtered for meat. The slaughtering process is generally cruel and violent. In 2019, the international animal rights organization PETA released footage of horses being taken directly from Jeju racetrack to slaughterhouses. The video showed slaughterhouse workers hitting the horses' faces with sticks and the terrified horses.

The welfare issue of retired racehorses was reignited by the death of "Kami," a horse that appeared in the KBS drama "Taejong Yi Bang-won." During the filming of a fall scene, the production team tied a wire to Kami's leg to force him to fall while carrying an actor, causing Kami's neck to twist and collapse to the ground.

Kami was alive at the time but reportedly died a week later, sparking intense "animal abuse" controversy. Kami had raced around the Gwacheon racetrack area for about five years before retiring and being sold to a horse rental company. Although the average lifespan of a horse is over 25 years, racehorses typically retire at around 2 to 4 years old, and Kami was estimated to be a young horse of about 5 to 6 years old.

Animal protection organizations including the Korea Animal Protection Alliance held a press conference condemning animal abuse in the drama "Taejong Yi Bang-won" in front of the KBS main building in Yeouido on the 21st of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

This sparked a flood of criticism from animal rights groups. Over 100 organizations, including the Korea Animal Protection Association, held a press conference on the 21st of last month in front of the KBS headquarters entrance in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "We cannot tolerate KBS's shameless behavior of recklessly endangering animals, ultimately leading to death, and then trying to cover up the incident as if nothing happened for two months." They demanded strict punishment to sound an alarm in society so that such incidents never happen again.

KBS apologized for the animal abuse allegations. On the 24th of last month, KBS stated, "KBS deeply regrets its failure to protect the lives of animals involved in drama filming and sincerely apologizes once again to viewers and the public," adding, "There is no scene that must be filmed at the risk of animal lives. KBS considers this accident a tragedy caused by a lack of awareness of bioethics and animal welfare," bowing their heads.

Subsequently, on the 10th, KBS also established animal safety production guidelines to be applied throughout program production.

However, the issue of "racehorse welfare" remains unresolved. Accordingly, at the "National Assembly Forum for Establishing a Welfare System for Racehorses Throughout Their Lives" held on the 9th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, various measures to improve the welfare of retired racehorses were discussed. The forum included calls to create racehorse welfare programs based on exemplary overseas cases. It was pointed out that profits earned from using animals should also benefit the animals themselves.

In this regard, animal rights groups criticized the racehorse industry for abusing animals as tools for human entertainment and amusement. Cho Hee-kyung, head of Animal Freedom Coalition, said, "The life of a racehorse can be summed up as 'a money-making machine and tool for humans.' Life as a racehorse is extremely harsh. The training process to run and the racing itself are very severe," adding, "There are many doubts about whether the sacrifice of racehorses is truly necessary for human history."

She then urged the Korea Racing Authority to establish a racehorse welfare system. Cho said, "The profits from the gambling industry of horse racing go only to the Korea Racing Authority, horse owners, and bettors. Welfare for racehorses and retired horses is not being realized. Racing profits must be prioritized first for the welfare of all racehorses, including retired ones. The structure where profits generated by a market driven by the sacrifice of racehorses do not return to the horses themselves is animal exploitation caused by extreme human selfishness," strongly criticizing the current situation.