Korea reports first African swine fever case in 2 months

Quarantine workers control access to a farm in Gangneung on Jan. 17, about 170 kilometers (105.6 miles) east of Seoul in Gangwon, where the nation’s first case of African swine fever in about two months was confirmed. [YONHAP]

 
Korea on Saturday confirmed its first case of African swine fever (ASF) in about two months, prompting authorities to cull thousands of pigs and issue a standstill order to prevent the virus from spreading.
 
The outbreak was detected at a farm in Gangneung, Gangwon, according to the provincial government.
 
Authorities said 29 of 32 pigs that died at the facility on Friday tested positive for the virus, which is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans.
 
It is the first confirmed case in the country since November 2025, when an outbreak was reported in Dangjin, South Chungcheong.
 
To prevent the spread, officials culled 20,000 pigs at the affected farm and issued a 48-hour standstill order for pig farms in six adjacent cities and counties.
 
After receiving a report on the new case, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered emergency containment measures, including restricting access to the site and culling operations.
 
Kim also stressed the need for a thorough epidemiological investigation to determine the cause of the outbreak.

Yonhap