Agriculture Minister Yoo Jeong-bok |
By Kang Seung-woo
Agriculture Minister Yoo Jeong-bok offered to step down Friday over his ministry’s poor response to the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak that has been devastating farms across the country since late last year.
However, Minister Yoo said he will retain his post until quarantine efforts are completed and the spread of the disease is arrested.
Since the first FMD case was reported at a farm in North Gyeongsang Province in November, more than 2.88 million head of livestock, including 2.4 million pigs, have been culled and financial losses are estimated at more than 1.5 trillion won (about $1.34 billion).
“I plan to do my utmost to try to contain the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, and once the situation is brought under control, I will step down,” Yoo said in a press conference.
The government has been facing increasing criticism from opposition lawmakers as well as civic groups and media over its belated response to what has become the country’s worst-ever FMD outbreak. Experts have been questioning the effectiveness of the initial quarantine measures and the slow decision to vaccinate farm animals.
Afraid of losing the country’s FMD-free status, the government began inoculating a limited number of cattle only on Dec. 22, nearly one month after the initial outbreak. It belatedly expanded inoculations to all 13 million pigs and cows in the country after the epidemic escalated out of control.
Yoo’s offer to resign is likely to dampen demands by opposition lawmakers who have called for someone to take responsibility for the disaster.
“Political wrangling over who should be held responsible for the outbreak does nothing to help the situation,” Minister Yoo said.
He also said that concerted nationwide efforts to eradicate the spread of FMD are required, while more time will be necessary to fully determine the exact cause of the outbreak and who should be held accountable.
The two-term lawmaker of the ruling Grand National Party was appointed as minister on Aug. 30.
FMD is highly contagious and affects all cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, deer, goats and buffalos, although it is harmless to humans. It is classified as a “List A” disease by the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health, with countries that report outbreaks barred from exporting meat.
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