ASF confirmed at pig farm in Gangneung... Over 20,000 pigs to be culled

[Financial News] An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed at a pig farm in Gangneung, prompting quarantine authorities to launch an emergency response.
According to Gangwon State on the 17th, provincial quarantine authorities conducted a detailed inspection after the owner of a farm in Gangneung reported pig deaths the previous day. At around 1 a.m. that day, they confirmed a final positive result for ASF. This is the first ASF case in the Gangwon region in about 14 months, since an outbreak in Hongcheon County in November 2024.
As an emergency measure to prevent the spread of ASF, provincial quarantine authorities immediately dispatched an initial response team and an epidemiological investigation team to the farm. They are currently restricting access, carrying out disinfection, and conducting an epidemiological survey.
All of the more than 20,000 pigs being raised at the farm are scheduled to be culled in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for emergency response.
Within the 10-kilometer quarantine zone around the affected farm, about 25,000 pigs are being raised at 10 farms. The province plans to impose movement restrictions on pigs at farms within the zone and to carry out intensive disinfection and emergency detailed inspections.
The Central Accident Control Headquarters for African Swine Fever also issued a temporary standstill order, effective from 1 a.m. on the 17th to 1 a.m. on the 19th, for workers and vehicles at livestock-related facilities in Yangyang County, Donghae, Jeongseon County, Pyeongchang, and Hongcheon County, which border Gangneung, to prevent any further spread.
Park Hyung-chul, Director-General of Agricultural Policy, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, said, “ASF is a deadly disease where a single moment of complacency can lead to massive damage,” and urged, “All pig farms must thoroughly conduct clinical observation of their animals, strictly control farm access, and strengthen internal and external disinfection.”
Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) to “implement quarantine measures such as access control at the affected farm and culling in strict accordance with the emergency Standard Operating Procedure, without any setbacks.”

localplace@fnnews.com Kim Hyun-ji Reporter