From the Korea Times:
Regional environmental agencies, civic group Korea Wild Animal and the Plant Service Association along with other experts are to carry out the shooting, though a final attempt to catch the bear alive will be made.
Local residents have welcomed the decision.
Manchurian black bears are on the verge of extinction and natural monument No. 329.
The ministry has imported 27 from North Korea and the Maritime Province of Siberia since 2004 as part of a restoration project.
However, those bred at farms are ``hybrids,'' which are genetically different from those that are government-protected, environmental officials said. They are bred for meat and gall, which is known to be good for men's stamina.
I think they are using a different definition of 'known" than the one I am familiar with. Perhaps, here, it means something more like, "believing in a crazy-ass superstition despite all evidence to the contrary and allowing horrible suffering for financial gain".
The bear could be a threat to people in the vicinity, although if it hasn't hurt anyone in two years it seems likely it won't in the future. It is damaging crops and farmland and sadly, I have to admit that recapturing it or putting it down* are probably the best courses of action.
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*I think of this euphemism everytime I suggest someone who is holding my son to set him on the floor. It takes a real effort not to smile or grimace while saying, "put him down".
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Ugh, I was going to link to this post, but I just checked and saw that they changed "known" to "believed."
It's hypocritical for me to make fun of Koreans killing one of the few animals they actually have considering that a park near my house (in Pennsylvania) pays people to shoot the surplus geese and deer every year. But still, they shouldn't be trying to kill this thing. Go find it and capture it. If you can't find it, try harder.
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