SPREAD OF ASF AND NORTH KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

Another case of African swine fever has been confirmed in Ganghwa-gun County in Incheon, bringing the total number of affected farms to nine. All of them are located close to the demilitarized zone. The National Intelligence Service believes that the virus might have spread all over North Korea, which points to the need for joint inter-Korean efforts to fight the deadly virus. However, the North has shown a lukewarm response.

[Pkg]

A veterinary quarantine center was set up in the North Korean city of Sinuiju back in June. It happened one month after African swine fever was first detected in Chagang-do Province, which borders China. Until recently, the regime had been emphasizing the importance of quarantine to the public.

[Soundbite] (KOREAN CENTRAL TV(SEP. 16)) : "We must have our officials strictly abide by quarantine rules, as infectious disease in livestock can result in mass deaths."

According to a report submitted by South Korea's top intel agency to the National Assembly, there are signs that African swine fever has spread all over the North.

[Soundbite] KIM MIN-KI(NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INFORMATION COMMITTEE) : "North Koreans working at hog farms were banned from visiting their relatives' graves on Chuseok holiday."

One hundred and ten days after the deadly virus was reported in the communist state, the first case of ASF was confirmed in Paju, South Korea. It was followed by an outbreak in the northern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province. Although it has yet to be confirmed how exactly the disease has spread in North Korea, some believe it probably began from wild boars. The Ministry of National Defense says no virus was detected in a dead boar found in the DMZ area in Cheorwon a few days ago. The ministry also added it's unlikely that wild boars will cross the border through the DMZ.

[Soundbite] ROH JAE-CHUN(DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON, MIN. OF NATIONAL DEFENSE) : "As you know, the barbed wire fence at guard posts makes it impossible for boars to cross over."

Meanwhile, the South Korean government has stepped up quarantine control for officials visiting the North, including those at the joint liaison office in Kaesong. Seoul has also proposed to Pyongyang that the two sides launch joint quarantine efforts. However, there has been no reply for more than a week now. The need for joint efforts to fight the deadly virus grows, but the inter-Korean liaison office has not held meetings for seven months due to the strained ties between Seoul and Pyongyang.