January 26, 2026

 

South Korean authorities restrict access to farms following ASF outbreak in Pocheon and Anseong

 

 

Authorities in South Korea are restricting access to farms in eight cities and regions in Gyeonggi after receiving reports of African swine fever (ASF), which were confirmed at two pig farms in Pocheon and Anseong.

 

The pigs could be culled depending on the results of the analysis.

 

The latest case of the disease was confirmed on January 24 at a pig farm in Pocheon, according to the Central Accident Management Headquarters for ASF.

 

Authorities dispatched an initial response team and epidemiological investigators to the site and restricted access to the farm by outsiders and vehicles. A temporary standstill order was also issued for workers and vehicles at pig farms and slaughterhouses in eight neighboring cities and counties.

 

The Pocheon city government activated its disaster response headquarters and deployed its own initial response team in coordination with the central authorities. The city immediately blocked all access to the infected farm and set up control posts in the surrounding area to monitor traffic and conduct an epidemiological investigation into anyone who potentially came in contact with the virus.

 

Pocheon city officials visited the site to inspect quarantine and culling preparations and to check for any gaps in the on-site response. The city is looking to cull all pigs at the farm according to official guidelines and to implement prompt and stringent quarantine measures to prevent further outbreaks. The city also pledged to strengthen oversight and administrative support to ensure swift implementation of control measures.

 

To prevent the virus from spreading beyond the outbreak zone, Pocheon ordered a temporary halt to movement by all personnel and vehicles linked to pig farms and slaughterhouses in the eight surrounding cities and counties. Intensive disinfection is being carried out in the area to sever the chain of transmission at an early stage.

 

"We are focusing all administrative resources on preventing the spread," a Pocheon official said. "We are strengthening both on-site response and situation management from the moment the infection was confirmed to minimise further spread and public concern."

 

The latest outbreak came after another confirmed ASF case at a pig farm in Miyang-myeon, Anseong, on January 23. The farm was home to 2,459 pigs.

 

Anseong city officials held an emergency disaster response meeting and immediately sent an initial response team to the site to block access and cull the pigs as a preventive measure. A quarantine station was set up at the entrance, and 20 disinfection vehicles were deployed to sanitize livestock facilities in the area.

 

To detect additional infections, the city deployed 75 officials to conduct emergency inspections at all 158 pig farms in Anseong, home to 332,069 pigs.

 

On January 17, the Central Accident Management Headquarters raised the nationwide ASF alert level to "serious."

 

Authorities have since been circulating ASF updates to pig farms across South Korea and intensifying outreach on disinfection and biosecurity guidelines through local livestock associations.

 

- Korea JoongAng Daily