This study was performed to determine the effects of castration and multi alleviation treatment (MAT) on growth and physiology in Korean cattle male calves. Forty Korean cattle calves (BW = 197.0 kg; 188 d of age) were allocated to 4 treatments (n = 10/group): castration with MAT (12 ml of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride injection for local anesthesia in the scrotum and 2 mg/kg body weight of 50 mg/ml flunixin meglumine injection for antiinflammation in the muscle of the buttock immediately before castration), castration without MAT, no castration with MAT, and no castration without MAT. Surgical castration was performed using a Newberry knife and Henderson castrating tool. The 0.9% NaCl solution was used for non-drug groups instead of MAT. Blood was collected immediately before castration and drug injection (0 h) and 0.5 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d after castration, body temperature was measured at same time points. Food intake was recorded daily, and body weight was measured at 0 d before castration and 14 d. Average daily gain was analyzed using 2-way ANOVA, using mixed model procedure of SAS. Other variables were analyzed in a repeated measures model using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS. Castration tended to decrease (P = 0.07) average daily gain (castration group 0.58 kg/d vs. non-castration group 0.79 kg/d), but MAT did not affect weight gain. Castration increased (P < 0.001) body temperature only at 1 d after castration, but not at other time points. Castration increased (P < 0.001) plasma cortisol concentrations (castration group 102 ng/mL vs. non-castration group 49 ng/mL) only at 0.5 h after castration, but not at other time points. MAT did not affect cortisol concentrations. Castration increased (P < 0.05) plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations at 0.5 h, 1 d, and 14 d after castration, but MAT did not affect NEFA concentrations. In conclusion, castration of bulls increased temporally circulating cortisol and NEFA concentrations and tended to decrease forage intake and retard animal growth, but neither increased cortisol concentration nor retarded growth caused by castration were alleviated by MAT.