Won So
Research lead covering South Korea
Livestock sector in South Korea - statistics & facts
The livestock sector in South Korea continues to grow together with Koreans' love of meat. The sector plays an important role in the South Korean agricultural economy since related business sectors such as production and international trade have grown steadily. The number of livestock farms accounts for about five percent of all farms in the country. Although the number of livestock farms is declining, the income of livestock farms is far higher than that of other farms.
Livestock and meat consumption
In terms of production value, the livestock sector is led by pigs and beef cattle. Pork is the meat consumed the most by Koreans, and the number of pigs raised has been steadily increasing accordingly since the 1980s and remains at about 11 million. As demand for beef also increased over the years, the number of beef cattle on farms grew as well. In South Korea, beef can be divided into Hanwoo or non-Hanwoo. Hanwoo refers to native Korean cattle, which is mainly bred for meat production.Future of the livestock sector
South Korea is working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions like any other country. The agricultural industry, including the livestock sector, accounts for only three percent of total domestic emissions. However, greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock inustry sector in Korea are steadily increasing. This is due to the rise in livestock breeding, which is driven by the continuous growth in meat consumption. In response to this, the South Korean government is targeting a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock by 2030 via expanding the share of renewable energy produced using animal waste.
