Exclusive
Harim Group’s Non-Profit Harim Animal Clinic Launches New Farm Biosecurity System Business

[비즈한국] Harim Animal Clinic, a non-profit organization operated by Harim Group, is pursuing a new business venture in farm biosecurity systems. It has also filed a trademark application for use in this biosecurity system business. Since Harim Group currently has numerous agricultural corporations as subsidiaries, synergies are expected between the group's operations and Harim Animal Clinic's new farm biosecurity system business.

According to KIPRIS, the Korean Intellectual Property Office's search service, Harim Animal Clinic filed for the trademark "HABIS" last March. The designated fields for the trademark cover 19 items in Class 37, including "disinfection and pest control services," "pest extermination services," and "non-agricultural pest control services." The trademark is intended for use in the new farm biosecurity system business.

A Harim Group official stated, "Farm biosecurity systems were already included in the business purpose of Harim Animal Clinic, and we are now preparing the specific details," adding, "HABIS will be used as the brand for our biosecurity system."

The new farm biosecurity business is expected to create synergy with Harim Group's affiliates. Harim Group holds numerous agricultural corporations as subsidiaries, including HBC, Sunjin Hanmaul, Soon-uri, Iksan, Jeil Farms, Juwon San-ori, Farmsco Bio-Inti, and Farm & Co. Agricultural corporations are established to improve productivity, increase the added value of agriculture, and facilitate farming through corporate-style agricultural management. If the new business settles in successfully, an increase in performance for Harim Animal Clinic is expected.

However, because Harim Animal Clinic is a non-profit organization, it must receive approval from relevant authorities to conduct for-profit business. The Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Service Corporations states, "A public service corporation wishing to conduct profit-making business to achieve its objectives must obtain approval from the competent authority for each business, as stipulated by its articles of association."

Harim Animal Clinic originally operated as a stock corporation but was re-established as a non-profit organization after its dissolution in 2023. This was due to an amendment to the Veterinarian Act in 2013, which mandated that only non-profit organizations could operate veterinary clinics. Operating a veterinary clinic in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, Harim Animal Clinic transitioned into a non-profit organization after the 10-year grace period granted to existing clinics expired.

According to the National Tax Service’s public disclosure for non-profit organizations, Harim Animal Clinic recorded 2.66 billion KRW in revenue and 139.23 million KRW in operating profit last year. Considering that Harim Holdings003380 recorded 12.273 trillion KRW in revenue last year, the share that Harim Animal Clinic accounts for within Harim Group is relatively small.