Home

The Korea Herald

Latest news

Most Popular

  1. 1

    Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser

    Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser
  2. 2

    S. Korea not to attend Sado mine memorial: foreign ministry

    S. Korea not to attend Sado mine memorial: foreign ministry
  3. 3

    First snow to fall in Seoul on Wednesday

    First snow to fall in Seoul on Wednesday
  4. 4

    Wealthy parents ditch Korean passports to get kids into international school

    Wealthy parents ditch Korean passports to get kids into international school
  5. 5

    Man convicted after binge eating to avoid military service

    Man convicted after binge eating to avoid military service
  1. 6

    Actor Jung Woo-sung admits to being father of model Moon Ga-bi’s child

    Actor Jung Woo-sung admits to being father of model Moon Ga-bi’s child
  2. 7

    Toxins at 622 times legal limit found in kids' clothes from Chinese platforms

    Toxins at 622 times legal limit found in kids' clothes from Chinese platforms
  3. 8

    [Weekender] Korea's traditional sauce culture gains global recognition

    [Weekender] Korea's traditional sauce culture gains global recognition
  4. 9

    BLACKPINK's Rose stays at No. 3 on British Official Singles chart with 'APT.'

    BLACKPINK's Rose stays at No. 3 on British Official Singles chart with 'APT.'
  5. 10

    Korea to hold own memorial for forced labor victims, boycotting Japan’s

    Korea to hold own memorial for forced labor victims, boycotting Japan’s
소아쌤

S. Korea on high alert after 1st African swine fever case confirmed

By Yonhap

Published : Sept. 17, 2019 - 08:40

    • Link copied

South Korea was on alert Tuesday to prevent the spread of African swine fever after the first case of the animal disease was confirmed near the border with North Korea.

The agriculture ministry announced the beginning of operations to slaughter some 4,000 pigs as a precautionary step.

Kim Hyeon-soo, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, said quarantine officials are set to complete the culling of the pigs at three farms, including the one where the disease was detected, in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border, by Tuesday.

"We will make our efforts to prevent the spread of African swine fever," Kim said in a news conference at a government building in Sejong, an administrative hub located 130 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

President Moon Jae-in ordered relevant authorities to take swift steps to combat the disease here.

"In the morning, the president discussed the issue and gave instructions on thoroughly curbing the spread (of the disease) at an early phase," Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson, Ko Min-jung, told reporters.

South Korea confirmed the case of the highly contagious virus at the farm where five pigs died Monday. 


Quarantine officials restrict access to a pig farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday after the first case of African swine fever in the nation was confirmed at the farm. (Yonhap) Quarantine officials restrict access to a pig farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday after the first case of African swine fever in the nation was confirmed at the farm. (Yonhap)

The two other farms are located about 20 kilometers from the one where the disease was detected.

South Korea launched an epidemiological investigation to try to determine the exact cause of the outbreak of the highly contagious virus, Kim said.

The owner of the farm where the disease broke out did not use leftover food. The farm has no windows and it has set up fences to prevent possible contact between his pigs and wild boars. The owner of the farm has never visited a foreign country, according to Kim.

South Korea said it will disinfect some 6,300 pig farms across the country and check conditions of pigs. The ministry did not disclose details on how many pig farms are located near the border with North Korea.

The first confirmed case in South Korea came about four months after North Korea reported its first confirmed case of the disease at a farm near its border with China to the World Organization for Animal Health.

North Korean media outlets have reported nationwide preventive efforts on the disease, though they have yet to confirm any additional cases. The North has not responded to Seoul's offer for cooperation to stem the spread of the disease across the border.

An official of the unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs said that it will wait until the results of the ongoing probe into how and in what route the disease broke out here come out before trying to contact the North for possible cooperation.

Since its outbreak in China in August last year, the disease has spread to neighboring countries, including Mongolia and Vietnam.

South Korea imposed a nationwide standstill on all pig farms, slaughter houses and feed factories for 48 hours, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

This means any animal, people or equipment may not be removed from farms for the duration, while those already en route to other farms or related facilities must find a secure place to sit out the temporary lockdown, the ministry said.

The animal disease does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs. There are currently no vaccines nor cures for the disease. (Yonhap)

Related Stories

More from Headlines