Police Mounted Unit Disbanded After 77 Years... What Is the Fate of 10 Retired Horses?

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Decides to Abolish Mounted Unit in First Half of Next Year
Retired Horses to Be Auctioned... Animal Groups Protest as "Immoral"

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has decided to disband the police mounted unit after 77 years since its establishment and to sell all 10 retired horses. Animal rights groups are opposing this, calling it "the easiest and most unethical decision."

According to the police on the 10th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency officially decided yesterday to abolish the mounted unit in line with personnel changes scheduled for the first half of next year. The Seoul Police Mounted Unit was launched in February 1946 with 100 police officers and 90 horses and has been active for 77 years.

Seoul Police Mounted Unit [Photo by Yonhap News]

A police official stated, "The decision to disband was made due to the reduction in management personnel and the shrinking role of the Seoul Police Mounted Unit, making practical operation difficult," adding, "The horses currently owned are national property and will be auctioned off sequentially according to Article 21 of the Police Mounted Unit Operation Regulations."

In its early days, the mounted unit patrolled the streets of Seoul on horseback and even participated in actual combat during the Korean War. It also handled protocol duties at national events such as the Pyeongchang Olympics and the G20 Summit. However, over time, with the introduction of patrol cars and motorcycles, the unit's scale gradually diminished due to changing times.

In 2017, the Seoul Police Mounted Unit was recognized for its preservation value for future generations and was selected as a Seoul Future Heritage, making this disbandment decision even more shocking. Currently, the unit consists of seven police officers. The police plan to strengthen on-site security capabilities by disbanding the mounted unit and transferring all affiliated officers to other departments.

The animal protection group Animal Freedom Union expressed concern over the police's decision to sell the retired horses. In a statement, the group criticized, "Faced with citizens' demands to take full responsibility for the horses that dedicated themselves to the nation, the Seoul Police Mounted Unit made the easiest and most unethical decision of selling them." They further demanded, "After the disbandment of the mounted unit, transparently disclose the criteria for selling the remaining horses and the post-sale monitoring plans, and establish proper measures for the horses' accommodations."

Animal Freedom Union previously pointed out that the Seoul Police Mounted Unit did not properly manage the retired horses. According to the group, over the past five years, the mounted unit euthanized eight horses due to old age or illness or sold them to unspecified parties such as riding clubs and deer farms. Animal Freedom Union claimed, "The owner who purchased two retired horses had a history of starving horses to death," and added, "The whereabouts of the sold horses are currently unknown."

In response, a police official said, "Following the criticism from civic groups, we have deeply considered the treatment of retired horses," and added, "To ensure the welfare of retired horses, we have included a special contract clause in the sales agreement stating that 'the buyer must provide appropriate feed and water suitable for service animals and do their best to help the horses adapt to the new environment by guaranteeing exercise, rest, and sleep.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.