Another case of African swine fever has been confirmed today at a farm in Paju near the inter-Korean border.
This is the fourth case so far.
African swine fever is harmless to humans but fatal to pigs, so it's a potential risk to pork supplies across the country.
As our Kim Jae-hee reports, the government is doing all it can to prevent it from spreading.
South Korea's Agriculture Ministry confirmed early Tuesday the fourth case of African swine fever in the country.
This is the second case reported in Paju, and comes only a day after the fever was found at a farm in Gimpo, south of the Hangang river,... raising concerns over the spread of the fever.
A new suspected case also reported on Tuesday,… at a pig farm in Ganghwa County, Incheon.
Inspections are currently underway and the results are expected to be out late Tuesday.
"All suspected cases from pig farms in Gimpo and Paju were confirmed to be positive. Now is the time to recognize the urgency of the current situation, and all related authorities must be devoted to quarantine efforts."
The South Korean government is ramping up efforts to prevent any further spread, including slaughtering pigs within 3 kilometers of the farms affected.
The Agriculture Ministry has also reissued the 48-hour standstill for pig farms, feed factories, and slaughterhouses as of 7:30 PM on Monday for Incheon and Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do provinces.
Four months ago, North Korea revealed its own outbreak of African swine fever.
The National Intelligence Service said on Tuesday that African swine fever has completely wiped out pigs in Pyeonganbuk-do province in North Korea.
Local authorities are currently inspecting waterways that connect to the North.
Starting next month, South Korea's Rural Development Administration will work with Vietnam to discover the route of the spread,... as preliminary research to formulating a vaccine.
Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.