There Was No "Fake Hanwoo"... Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment Research Confirms Hanwoo by Genetic Testing

All 424 Samples Collected from January to Early December Match
10 Out of 101 Individual Identity Tests (9.9%) Show Discrepancies

The shadow of doubt over consumers' dining tables has been lifted.

The Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment Research has released the results of its Hanwoo verification tests and individual identity tests, conducted to establish order in the distribution of Hanwoo beef within the region and prevent the sale of beef falsely labeled as domestic.

The 'Hanwoo verification test' is a procedure that confirms whether beef labeled and distributed as Hanwoo is genuine by analyzing its alleles (coat color type and Hanwoo type).

The testing period ran from January 2025 to December 2, 2025, covering 424 samples collected from school meal service complaints, eco-friendly meal support centers in districts and counties, and meat retail stores. All 424 samples were confirmed to be Hanwoo.

Additionally, an 'individual identity test' was carried out using genetic markers to verify whether the beef traceability system is being properly implemented during distribution.

The beef traceability system is a system that records and manages an individual identification number for each cow throughout all stages, from birth to slaughter, packaging, and sale. The individual identity test compares beef samples collected from retailers with samples stored at the slaughter stage to confirm whether their DNA matches.

This test was conducted on 101 beef samples collected from meat packaging and retail stores between January 2025 and November 30, 2025.

The results showed that 10 samples (9.9%) collected from meat retail stores did not match.

In response, the institute notified the relevant authorities to take prompt administrative action, including imposing fines on the businesses in question for inadequate management of individual traceability information.

An official from the institute stated, "In accordance with the Act on the Management of Livestock and Livestock Products Traceability, we publicly disclose violations of the livestock traceability system so that citizens can be informed about offending businesses. We will continue to conduct thorough inspections to ensure that Ulsan citizens can purchase and consume distributed beef with confidence."

The test results are available on the website of the Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment Research.

Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment Research.