Ever since African swine fever was detected in wild boars near the border with North Korea,… South Korean quarantine officials have been busy hunting them down, deploying armed soldiers to kill them and installing traps in areas they frequent.
But as the officials confirmed two new cases last week,… they have now decided to take their reponse to the next level.
Won Jung-hwan reports.
South Korea will set up fences from the east to the west of the country in a bid to stop wild boars spreading African swine fever in the South.
Quarantine authorities decided Sunday to build the structures that will stretch from the western border city of Paju to Goseong on the east coast,… after wild boars infected with African swine fever were found near the border.
The 200-kilometer-long fence will be constructed in four different regions, including Paju and Cheorwon.
The officials plan to first set up fences in three regions near the outbreak zones before mid-November,… and then, extending them to the eastern side as soon as the first phase is finished.
From Monday,... authorities will also expand the areas where the hunting of wild boars is permitted as part of broader measures to prevent the further spread of the disease.
No additional African swine fever infections have been reported at local commercial pig farms since the 14th case was confirmed on October 9th,… but the wild boar issue is keeping the authorities on their toes.
The tighter measures were introduced in consideration of the breeding season for wild boars that's set to start from November.
How the animal disease found its way into South Korea is still unclear,... but there's speculation wild boars might have brought it in from North Korea, which reported its own outbreak in late May.
African swine fever is not harmful to people, but it is fatal for pigs.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.