A growing black market for Hanwoo bull semen — used to breed Korea’s prized native cattle known for their premium beef — is drawing criticism from livestock producers, as government-supplied breeding material is being resold online at prices up to 40 times its original cost.

Despite being intended to improve the genetic quality of Korea’s premium cattle, the system is now drawing criticism for fueling speculation rather than supporting livestock development.

On online platforms like Naver’s used goods marketplace and KakaoTalk’s open chatrooms, hundreds of listings for Hanwoo semen can be found, with prices ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 won ($73 to $365) per dose — far above the official rates of 3,000 to 10,000 won.

Some sellers even offer bulk deals, listing 100 doses for as much as 35 million won. With no expiration date, semen collected from bulls slaughtered over a decade ago is still being resold.