Afternoon Governor Oh Hoo-seok Conducts On-Site Inspection of African Swine Fever Outbreak Area in Yangju

Gyeonggi Province launches emergency quarantine measures
to contain the spread of African Swine Fever
Deputy Governor Oh Pooseok conducts on-site inspection
Movement restrictions and intensive disinfection in place

On the 20th, the first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) this year occurred at a pig farm in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. On the 21st, Administrative Deputy Governor Oh Pooseok visited the control checkpoint at the affected farm to conduct an urgent inspection of the quarantine site.

Oh Hu-seok, Deputy Governor of Administration 2, visited the control post of the farm where the first African Swine Fever case of the year occurred on the 20th, and conducted an urgent inspection of the quarantine site on the 21st. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

African Swine Fever has occurred 50 times domestically (21 cases in Gyeonggi Province) since the first outbreak in Paju in September 2019. The recent case in Yangju is the first in 36 days since the outbreak on December 16, 2024.

The province is currently carrying out emergency culling of pigs at the affected farm to block the spread. Additionally, movement restrictions have been imposed on 46 pig farms with a total of 73,530 pigs within a 10 km quarantine zone, followed by clinical surveillance and detailed testing.

Livestock facilities and pig farms have been instructed to conduct daily self-disinfection to prevent the spread of ASF. Major control checkpoints have been established, and a total of 148 available disinfection vehicles, including joint pest control teams, have been mobilized to intensively disinfect vulnerable farms and surrounding roads.

Furthermore, efforts are being made to block the spread through 36 base disinfection facilities, operation of control checkpoints, and deployment of 239 dedicated officers to pig farms across the province for quarantine guidance.

After reviewing the quarantine management situation, Deputy Governor Oh encouraged the on-site quarantine staff and ordered, “Please carry out rapid culling of livestock, conduct inspections of the quarantine zone and epidemiological farms, and thoroughly disinfect farms and surrounding roads.”

He also urged, “Active cooperation from farms and strict surveillance and quarantine activities by quarantine agencies are the quickest way to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever. Farms should comply with basic quarantine rules and thoroughly block contamination sources from wildlife and external vehicles. If any suspicious symptoms are detected, please report immediately to the quarantine authorities.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs issued a temporary movement suspension order for pig farms, vehicles, and facilities in seven cities and counties within the province (Yangju, Paju, Yeoncheon, Pocheon, Goyang, Dongducheon, Uijeongbu) from the 20th to the 21st, 24 hours a day. Violating the movement suspension order may result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won under the Livestock Infectious Disease Control Act.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.