Use of laboratory animals and issues regarding the procurement of animals for research in Korea

Abstract

Background Laboratory animals remain critical to biomedical research, despite the increasing availability of alternative approaches. Indeed, scientists strive to reduce and refine and replace the use of laboratory animals, even in the face of public calls for ever-more stringent regulation for the protection and care of animals in research. This report outlines the current status and legal regulatory issues with regard to the procurement and use of animals for research in Korea. Results The number of animals used for education and research purposes was increased nationwide, from 2.5 to 4.9 million in 2015 and 2021, respectively. When compared with figures from the UK, institutions in Korea were found to use more mammals such as mice and dogs. In our research, we identified three major issues concerning recent animal supply in Korea, particularly: (1) Purchase of dogs from unregistered animal supplier for a dog cloning project; (2) Purchase of dogs from an unclear source for veterinary education and training; (3) Illegal cat experiments using cats obtained from unauthorized routes. Conclusions Our findings support the notion that alternatives to laboratory animal research should be implemented. We conclude that improvements in the regulations and guidelines for animal suppliers, together with the recent introduction of legislation will improve animal safety and wellbeing of animals in laboratory research in Korea.

A survey of the impact of COVID-19 on the management of animal experiments and laboratory animal facilities in Korea

“…In addition to the above three major recommendations, many suggestions have also been proposed to the government in relation to the IACUC. Most issues related to topics covered, such as rollout of a public IACUC, revision of regulations, and reinforcement of governmental supervision [ 1 , 16 , 17 ].…”

“…According to the national report of Korea [ 21 ], the number of institutions operating animal facilities is increasing continuously, alongside an increase in the number of animals used for education and research purposes. Even though many variables could account for restrictions in the research environment, there was no lockdown restriction in Korea [ 1 ], and research funds related to COVID-19 provided through Korea Drug Development Fund [ 22 ] such as vaccine or drug development were also increased, all of which did not seem to negatively impact animal research activities. As indicated in Table 4 , some respondents noted an increase in the demand for animal experiments attributed to expanded research funds.…”

“…Despite the ongoing development of alternative methods for experimentation that avoids their use altogether, animal use in scientific research remains an essential and important approach to the investigation of living biological systems and their functional complexity. While controversial to the public, legal protections that govern animal research in countries around the world are in place to ensure the safe, ethical and responsible use of animals for research purposes [ 1 ]. Indeed, scientific studies on live animals are essential for: 1) gaining basic biological knowledge of a system in its native physiological context, 2) drug discovery and development research and potential impacts on whole animal systems, 3) investigating the safety and efficacy of vaccines and medical devices for human use, 4) assessing drugs, chemicals, and consumer products for their safe use, 5) performing environmental research, and 6) education and training [ 2 ].…”

“…In contrast, the pandemic did not significantly affect animal experiments in Korea, and an increase in the use of animals was observed in this period. It is possible that the increase could be attributable to a rise in demand for animal experiments in areas such as vaccine development, since it was noted that funding for such areas of research increased [ 1 ], but this remains to be clarified.…”

Attending veterinarians improve the research capability and psychological well-being of researchers in animal research institutes

“…Biomedical research using laboratory animals has recently made tremendous progress (4,5). The quantity of animals employed for educational and research purposes experienced a rise across the country, surging from 2.5 million in 2015 to 4.9 million in 2021 (6). Animal experimentation is essential in the preclinical evaluation of new drugs and medical devices; however, it unavoidably subjects animals to pain and stress (7)(8)(9).…”