Recent Progress in Genomic Prediction for Hanwoo Cattle and Its Implications for Beef Quality

Genomic selection (GS) has become an indispensable tool in the beef cattle industry, offering the potential to significantly increase genetic gain and prediction accuracy by integrating genomic, pedigree, and phenotypic information to estimate genomic breeding values. In the Korean Peninsula, Hanwoo cattle (HC) are valued for their exceptional marbling and distinct flavour. Thus, genetic improvement breeding programs for Hanwoo have been undertaken to improve beef production and profitability, with a particular focus on carcass and meat quality traits. The success of a breeding program incorporating genomic information in HC largely depends on prediction accuracy, making genomic prediction (GP) essential for accelerating genetic gain. Hence, breeders should acknowledge the superiority of GS and choose the most suitable prediction model depending on the genetic architecture and biological nature of the trait of interest. Several GP methods have already proven their ability in terms of carcass and meat quality traits over the traditional pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (PBLUP) method. Therefore, there are no alternative approaches to GS for breeders to accelerate the innovative development of Hanwoo beef cattle. Thus, the main objective of this review is to provide an overview of how GP methods are being applied to improve the ultimate meat quality of HC. Furthermore, this review presents the transversal analysis of interest in GS for Hanwoo breeders when choosing the best prediction method for specific traits. We believe this review literature would be a significant resource for future exploitation of Hanwoo's potential in the Korean beef industry.