(MENAFN) South Korea's health authorities issued an urgent nationwide "red alert" on Monday, strengthening their response efforts following the detection of an African swine fever (ASF) case on Sunday in Gyeonggi province. This marks the first ASF report in the country in two months, local media outlets reported.

The confirmed ASF case occurred at a pig farm in Yeoncheon County, located in the northern part of Gyeonggi province, making it the fifth confirmed instance of the virus this year. The previous outbreak was reported in the city of Paju in July.

In response, the government immediately enacted a 48-hour standstill order for all pig farms and related facilities within Yeoncheon and nearby regions, while implementing other measures to curb the virus' spread, such as culling infected pigs.

"Since all five cases this year have been concentrated in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, the provincial government must mobilize all available human and material resources to make every effort to prevent any further spread of the disease," Vice Agriculture Minister Kang Hyoung-seok stated during a disaster response meeting.

ASF, which is fatal to pigs but does not pose a threat to humans, continues to spread across the region. As of now, no vaccine or cure has been developed to counter the virus.

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