Universities are constantly embroiled in issues of research ethics over animal experiments. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — As millions of animals are sacrificed each year in lab experiments, animal management at university labs has yet to improve.
According to a report from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety sent to Rep. Lee Tahney of the ruling Democratic Party, at least 3.7 million animals were used in laboratories in the over the past five years (2015 to 2019).
Among them, 1.7 million animals were used for experiments by businesses, 1.2 million at universities, 440,000 at public agencies, and 330,000 at medical institutions.
Universities, the second largest destination for lab animals, are constantly embroiled in issues of research ethics over animal experiments.
Kyungpook National University, in particular, was found to procure dogs via an unknown source for lab experiments.
Between 2015 and July of this year, the university was found to have purchased 211 dogs (44.9 percent) and 15 cats (30 percent) from businesses not registered with the ministry.
In some cases, the animals were forced to engage in coitus using drugs to induce estrus.
One of the dogs, despite falling ill, was used continuously in a month-long experiment before it perished.
Experts point out that lack of unified standards governing the supply and management of lab animals across universities is the primary cause of unethical animal experiments.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported that over the past three years, universities received the largest number of correction orders from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Between 2017 and 2019, universities received 26 correctional orders, surpassing records from businesses (20 cases) and medical institutions (3 cases).
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
