South Korea, battling to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, said today it would slaughter more livestock after two pigs tested positive.
The latest cases, a major blow to South Korea's livestock and feed industries, were confirmed just three weeks before tens of thousands of tourists are expected to visit the country as it co-hosts soccer's month-long World Cup finals with Japan.
The ministry said yesterday two sows and several piglets at two farms close to cases already confirmed were being tested after some of the piglets with signs of the disease died.
Last Saturday, pigs at farms about 100 km (60 miles) south of the capital Seoul tested positive for the disease, which can kill cloven-hoofed animals such as pigs and cows but is harmless to humans.
All livestock within a 500-metre radius of the two affected farms would be slaughtered.
It was not immediately clear how many animals were involved, but local media said it could be thousands and the radius could be widened considerably.
Authorities have culled 12,000 animals within a 500-metre radius of the first affected farms.
The ministry was also considering vaccinating animals within 10 km of the site, a move that would add to the period before the country could be given a clean bill of health and resume exports.
The outbreak of the disease is a blow to South Korea's livestock and feed industries, which resumed pork exports for the first time since a cattle outbreak of the disease in 2000 halted pork shipments worth $400 million a year, mainly to Japan.
Several countries in the region have banned pork imports from South Korea and some, such as Australia, are poised to increase their exports to South Korea's usual markets, particularly Japan.