Swine flu in border areas

Two Koreas should jointly tackle spread of disease

While the nation is focusing on overcoming COVID-19, another serious risk to public health should not be overlooked ― the spread of African swine fever (ASF).

On Friday, the government said it had found 11 more dead wild boars infected with the disease near the border with North Korea, bringing the total to 366. Since the nation reported its first outbreak in September last year, wild boars carrying the disease have been discovered continually. Fortunately, all confirmed cases have been reported in border areas so far, and no additional cases on farms here have been reported since early October. But it is possible that the disease could spread to other areas rapidly at any time. The government should remain on high alert because there is no cure.

The 11 newly discovered cases were in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province and Paju in Gyeonggi Province near the inter-Korean border. one big problem in tackling the disease is that there is little available information about what is taking place in the North. The South has mobilized hundreds of soldiers and civilian hunters to prevent the spread of the disease, but this will be insufficient if areas north of the border remain volatile. It is quite regrettable that Pyongyang has been unresponsive to the Seoul's proposal for inter-Korean talks aimed at preparing joint measures to overcome the disease. It should at least share information on what is occurring there with the international community before it is too late.

The North reported its first outbreak of ASF at a pig farm near its border with China in May last year, but after that, it took about four months until the disease was found in the South. During the four-month period, North Korea failed to provide accurate information on its fight against the disease, making it harder for South Korea to prepare its own preventive measures.

The spread of ASF is an issue that should be tackled jointly by the two Koreas. Hopefully, the North will accept the South's proposal for inter-Korean talks on ways to overcome the disease.