Jeju Island Gains Status as FMD Vaccination Zone Free from Outbreaks... Will This Open Export Routes to Singapore?

Jeju Island has obtained the status of a "foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination zone free from outbreaks." The pace of quarantine negotiations with countries such as Singapore is expected to accelerate.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on May 30 that at the 92nd General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), held in Paris, France on May 29 (local time), Jeju Island was newly recognized as an FMD vaccination zone free from outbreaks.

To be recognized as an FMD-free zone, the region must not have experienced any FMD outbreaks in the past 12 months, in accordance with WOAH regulations. In addition, the region must conduct appropriate serological surveillance for 24 months and maintain a high level of antibody positivity through FMD vaccination.

In 2023, Korea sought national recognition as an FMD vaccination zone free from outbreaks. However, this effort was thwarted when an FMD outbreak occurred in the Chungbuk region in May of that year.

Subsequently, the government pursued FMD vaccination zone free from outbreaks status for Jeju Island alone. The application was submitted to WOAH in August of this year, and after a preliminary review by the secretariat, evaluation by an expert group, and assessment by the Scientific Commission, the proposal was approved at the General Session.

To secure this recognition for Jeju, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Miryung met with the WOAH Secretary General in Paris on May 23, prior to the General Session. At the meeting, Minister Song emphasized that "Jeju Island in Korea is not only geographically separated from the mainland, but also maintains a non-outbreak status through strengthened quarantine and disease control measures." She requested active support and cooperation for the adoption of the resolution recognizing Jeju as an FMD vaccination zone free from outbreaks at the General Session. She also asked for WOAH's interest and cooperation in designating Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency as the Asia-Pacific Regional Collaboration Center for Antimicrobial Resistance in Terrestrial Animals.

A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "This recognition of Jeju Island as an FMD vaccination zone free from outbreaks is an international acknowledgment of Korea's disease control capabilities. It is especially significant as quarantine negotiations for livestock product exports are underway with countries such as Singapore, based on the approval of Jeju's status as a disease-free region."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to continue collaborating with Jeju Island and producer organizations to maintain disease control through vaccination of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle and pigs, thorough surveillance and testing, and strengthened quarantine measures at airports and ports.

Meanwhile, at this WOAH General Session, Korea was also re-recognized as free from three livestock diseases: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as mad cow disease), African horse sickness, and peste des petits ruminants (PPR, also known as goat plague). In addition, resolutions were adopted at the General Session to establish new animal welfare assessment criteria and to strengthen safety evaluation standards for African swine fever (ASF) vaccines, as well as updates to terrestrial and aquatic animal health codes, and manuals for terrestrial animal diagnostics and vaccines.