May 12, 2023

South Korea orders culling of cattle due to foot-and-mouth disease

South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture said they have ordered the culling of several hundred cattle and implemented rigorous biosecurity measures after confirming foot-and-mouth disease cases on farms in a central province, The Straits Times reported.

According to media reports, this marks the first confirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea since January 2019. The current outbreak has been identified in three farms located in Cheongju, situated in the North Chungcheong province, south of the capital city of Seoul, as announced by the ministry.

South Korea's Vice-Agriculture Minister Kim In-joong emphasised the need for immediate preventive measures to halt the further spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

He called upon relevant agencies and local governments to mobilize all available efforts in combatting the outbreak.

A specialised team has been dispatched to the affected area to investigate the outbreak thoroughly. The team is undertaking the disinfection of farms in the surrounding vicinity and enforcing a 48-hour halt on the movement of people and livestock in the region, as outlined by the ministry.

Approximately 360 cattle are planned to be culled. Foot-and-mouth vaccinations and tests are being conducted on cattle farms in and near Cheongju to prevent the spread of the disease.

-      The Straits Times