A confirmed outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) at a pig farm in Bonghwang-myeon, Naju, South Korea, prompted the immediate activation of the city’s disaster and safety headquarters on February 9th, officials announced on Monday.
The Naju city government, led by Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, convened an emergency situation management meeting to assess the outbreak and reinforce preventative measures, according to a statement released by the city. The focus is on containing the spread of the highly contagious virus and mitigating potential disruptions to pork supplies ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The affected farm is under a full slaughter order, and movement restrictions have been imposed on all pig farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the initial outbreak. Control checkpoints have been established to rigorously monitor vehicle and personnel access to the designated quarantine zone, officials stated.
Naju city had already elevated its integrated disaster and safety headquarters to the highest level of alert on December 20th, 2025, in preparation for potential outbreaks of ASF, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and foot-and-mouth disease. The headquarters comprises eight working groups – a comprehensive situation assessment team, a culling team, a human infection prevention team, a public relations team, a personnel support team, a supplies and equipment support team – operating on a 24-hour emergency response system.
The city is instructing all 85 pig farms within its jurisdiction, as well as foreign workers employed in the sector, to strictly adhere to biosecurity protocols. Daily clinical monitoring is being conducted, and rigorous testing is being applied to all pork shipments and manure removal processes. Pre-shipment inspections are also being carried out at slaughterhouses.
To address concerns regarding the welfare of foreign workers, the city is distributing multilingual cards and video materials outlining biosecurity measures. Environmental inspections of footwear, clothing, and composting facilities on all farms are scheduled to be completed by the end of February to assess potential contamination.
City officials stated they are prioritizing the stabilization of pork supplies during the Lunar New Year holiday period, with enhanced monitoring of slaughter and shipment volumes. The city plans to maintain a continuous reporting and information-sharing system until the situation is fully resolved.
