Inter-Korean cooperation on animal disease control necessary: unification minister
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young attends a parlimentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul, Oct. 27. Yonhap
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday called for inter-Korea cooperation to control animal diseases that wild animals could carry across the border.
"There is a need for phased cooperation in animal quarantines to control diseases, such as African Swine Fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease and bird flu," Chung told a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung earlier in the day.
"We are preparing for it," Chung added. "It is one of the reasons why inter-Korean ties should improve."
His remarks came during a discussion on improving animal quarantines and the risk of undomesticated animals, such as wild boars, crossing the border from the North and spreading diseases in the South.
Chung cited North Korea's first ASF outbreak at a farm in Jagang Province in May 2019. According to South Korea's agriculture ministry, 77 pigs died and 22 were culled.