At the same time, the country has been suffering from a rapidly spreading outbreak of avian influenza for months, with about 30 million chickens and ducks culled.

Consequently, its exports of fresh meat are forbidden in principle, but the Seoul government signed separate deals with some countries like Hong Kong to export livestock products.

Nearly all South Korean beef products are exported to Hong Kong, which imported 46 tons of Korean beef worth $3.2 million last year.

However, the recent infection of the foot-and-mouth disease is expected to deal a further blow to the country's outbound shipments of beef.

Moreover, Hong Kong and Vietnam also imposed import bans on South Korean poultry products, while mainland China moved to stop importing Korean-made chicken soup, or samgyetang. (Yonhap)