A Case Study of the Xinjiang Equine Industry Special Zone in China for the Development of the Korean Equine Industry Special Zone

This study analyzes the Xinjiang case to propose high–value-added strategies for advancing Korea’s Equine industry special zones. Xinjiang expanded the industry’s scope into biopharmaceuticals by extracting and commercializing conjugated estrogens from pregnant mares’ urine, while establishing central breeding and aseptic collection bases, standardizing raw materials, and securing regulatory approvals that enabled domestic commercialization and exports. A virtuous cycle linking seed stock, breeding, and distribution through regional cooperatives has increased herders’ income and revitalized the local economy. In contrast, Korea’s zones have focused on infrastructure-driven quantitative growth, with insufficient policy and regulatory support for leveraging equine by-products in pharma and healthcare models. Building on Korea’s strengths in breeds, training, and veterinary ecosystems—particularly in Jeju —this study recommends positioning the pharmaceuticalization and global commercialization of equine by-products as a strategic pillar. Key steps include phased raw-material collection and quality standardization, an integrated R&D–clinical–approval pipeline, public–private–producer collaboration, and export-oriented regulatory alignment. The Xinjiang case indicates that Korea can move beyond consumption- and tourism-centric models and upgrade its industrial structure toward biopharma.