Hanjin to handle racehorse transport for Korea's top international racing event

Hanjin announced Monday that it will handle the round-trip international transport of overseas racehorses competing in the Korea Cup and Korea Sprint, the country's most prestigious horse racing events, to be held at Let's Run Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday.

Hanjin will transport the horses — arriving from Japan, Hong Kong and other countries — by air using specialized "horse stalls" designed exclusively for equine transport. The stalls are lined with absorbent material, sawdust and hay to minimize stress on the animals, and two dedicated grooms accompany each horse throughout the flight to provide close, hands-on care.

When the horses arrived at Incheon Airport's cargo terminal late Tuesday night, they were moved to ground transport vehicles via a dedicated unloading bridge more than 2 meters high — known as a "hama-dae" — and special floor mats, ensuring the animals did not touch the ground before clearing quarantine. The measure is designed to prevent the horses from being exposed to bacteria or viruses that may be present on airport floors or soil before they have been inspected.

The ground transport vehicles are vibration-free units — high-end, specialized equipment built to move racehorses with minimal disturbance. Under transport guidelines set by the Korea Racing Authority based on the Animal Protection Act regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, drivers are prohibited from making sudden starts or hard braking, ensuring the horses arrive safely at the stables of Let's Run Park in Gwacheon.

Horses have wide fields of vision and are highly sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Sudden exposure to an unfamiliar environment can trigger unpredictable behavior, and any injury to their legs or hooves could affect their ability to compete. Transporting horses of such exceptional value therefore demands an extremely delicate and professional approach.

The Korea Cup (International Group 2, 1,800 meters) and the Korea Sprint (International Group 3, 1,200 meters) are the only two international invitational horse racing events held in South Korea. The Korea Racing Authority launched them in 2016, and this year marks their 10th anniversary.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities assigns ratings to races based on a comprehensive assessment of race quality, prize money and the caliber of competing horses. The Korea Cup was elevated to International Group 3 in 2019 and advanced to International Group 2 this year — a promotion achieved in just seven years.

"The rating upgrade means that the quality of the competing horses, and their corresponding value, has been recognized as reaching the world's highest level," a Hanjin official said. "These prized thoroughbreds, worth tens of billions of won, travel through Incheon to Gwacheon, and Hanjin — whose unrivaled capabilities in specialized logistics have been proven — has been entrusted with the full round-trip transport."

The official added that the company would "continue to lead the global mega-event logistics market, drawing on our expertise in high-value live-animal transport and a broad range of specialized logistics services."

Hanjin previously handled the safe transport of overseas racehorses to the Let's Run Park venue in Gwacheon for the 2023 Korea Cup as well.

Meanwhile, Hanjin has recently been selected as the logistics operator for an emergency relief supply delivery project for earthquake victims in Venezuela, organized by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, further demonstrating the company's commitment to social contribution across a wide range of fields through its logistics capabilities.