Environment Minister: "Operating Emergency Response System for African Swine Fever During Seollal Holiday"

Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 5th that Minister Han Hwajin will inspect the response site for African Swine Fever (ASF) in wild boars around Sangju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

This inspection was arranged to check the quarantine management situation in Sangju City, where ASF in wild boars recently occurred outside the wild boar containment fence, and to prevent further spread of African Swine Fever.

Sangju City is located at a key point among the cities and counties in Gyeongbuk Province where ASF in wild boars is spreading consecutively, serving as a gateway to Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gyeongnam, and Jeonbuk regions.

The Ministry of Environment will operate an emergency duty system during the Lunar New Year holiday period, when human and vehicle movement increases, to prepare for wildlife diseases.

In case of suspected disease situations such as carcasses of wild boars or wild birds, a reporting system is operated through the environmental departments of cities, counties, and districts, regional (local) environmental offices, and the National Wildlife Disease Control Center to ensure immediate reporting without approaching the carcasses.

People should refrain from throwing away food after outdoor activities or performing gosure (food offering). Gosure is the act of taking a small portion of food and throwing it away while eating in the mountains or fields, which can attract wild animals to villages or farms, and therefore should not be done. Feeding wild animals directly is also strictly prohibited.

Minister Han emphasized, "As movement of people and vehicles increases during the Lunar New Year holiday due to homecoming and ancestral rites, active cooperation from all citizens in quarantine efforts is crucial to block wildlife diseases."

He added, "Please refrain from visiting migratory bird habitats, disease outbreak areas, pig and poultry farms during the holiday period, cooperate with disinfection and other quarantine measures, and comply with the national response guidelines for quarantine."