Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on the 1st ordered thorough quarantine measures and an epidemiological investigation after African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed at a pig farm in Gochang, North Jeolla.
The prime minister's office said in a press release that Kim received a report on the ASF outbreak and issued this emergency directive.
Kim ordered, "The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs should carry out quarantine measures under the standard operating procedure (SOP), including access control for the affected farms, culling, and intensive disinfection, without a hitch, and thoroughly investigate the cause of the outbreak through an epidemiological investigation." Kim particularly "called for rigorous management, including testing and disinfection, for the related farms."
Kim added, "The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment should do its utmost to investigate wild boar traces and habitat density around the affected farms, search for and capture wild boar carcasses, and urgently inspect fences and reinforce weak sections," and said, "Related ministries, local governments, and relevant agencies should actively cooperate in implementing quarantine measures such as swift culling, precise testing, and intensive disinfection."
Kim stressed, "ASF has been occurring widely across the country this year, from Gangneung, Gangwon, in January to Anseong and Pocheon in Gyeonggi, Yeonggwang in South Jeolla, and Gochang in North Jeolla," and urged, "Related ministries, local governments, and pig farmers and other relevant organizations should stay alert and respond proactively."