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The barn door is still open. Time to fix the system.

Published: 28 Mar. 2025, 00:00

Hur Ju-hyung

The author is the president of the Korean Veterinary Medical Association and Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations.

Two years after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Chungju, North Chungcheong, the virus has resurfaced in the Yeongam and Muan counties of South Jeolla, putting quarantine authorities on high alert. While it marks the first confirmed case of the disease in two years, avian influenza has become a near-annual occurrence, and African swine fever continues to spread. These recurring outbreaks of highly contagious animal diseases are inflicting enormous damage on the livestock industry. The mass culling of farm animals not only weakens the industry, but can also drive up consumer prices.

A veterinarian vaccinates cows to prevent foot-and-mouth disease at a farm in the city of Yongin, Gyeonggi, on April 3, 2023. [YONHAP]

The latest outbreak of FMD underscores the need for a sweeping reassessment of Korea’s animal quarantine system, beyond a mere failure in containment. The inefficiency of vaccine management, loopholes in the self-vaccination regime, and the unscientific nature of on-farm biosecurity practices all appear to have compounded the problem.

To prevent the spread of infectious livestock diseases, Korea must fundamentally overhaul its border quarantine protocols and on-farm management systems. In Japan and Taiwan, disinfectant foot mats are installed at every entry point of airports and ports. By contrast, Korea has only sporadically implemented them at select airports. Yet such a simple measure can be remarkably effective at blocking viruses that might be carried in from overseas.

Unlike advanced livestock-producing nations, Korea limits hand and foot disinfection protocols to livestock farmers and veterinarians returning from abroad. Last year, 27.82 million Koreans traveled overseas — raising the risk that viruses could be brought back into the country. With such basic quarantine measures neglected, Korea is dangerously exposed to the threat of foreign animal diseases.

The problems don’t end there. In Korea, only farms with more than 50 head of livestock are permitted to vaccinate their animals independently. This policy makes it difficult to verify whether vaccinations have been properly administered, leaving blind spots in the national disease control system. Korea still lacks a designated farm veterinarian system, making it virtually impossible for veterinarians to manage farms systematically. With veterinarians sidelined, vaccination and biosecurity efforts are left to the discretion of farm owners — creating a breeding ground for epidemic-level outbreaks.

An owner of a cattle farm gives a vaccination shot for lumpy skin disease to a cow in North Chungcheong in October, 2023. [YONHAP]

Several concrete reforms are necessary.

First, disinfectant foot mats must be placed at all entry points in every airport and seaport nationwide. These mats were initially installed at all gates when new ports opened but many have since been removed. Simply placing them along pedestrian routes and ensuring diligent maintenance by airport quarantine officers would be a highly manageable yet effective improvement.

Second, Korea should establish regional veterinary hospitals and introduce a designated farm veterinarian system. In the European Union and other advanced nations, veterinarians regularly visit farms to inspect vaccination records and biosecurity conditions. If Korean authorities manage these regional hospitals, they can gain real-time insight into the state of disease prevention on farms and swiftly respond to outbreaks. This would enable livestock farms to receive systematic care and help prevent the early spread of infectious diseases.

Third, the self-vaccination policy should be abolished, and a veterinarian-administered vaccination log system should be introduced. Under current regulations, farm owners are allowed to vaccinate their own animals, making it difficult to verify accurate vaccination histories. By entrusting vaccinations to trained veterinarians and recording the data, the government can more reliably track immunization status. This would not only enhance the credibility of quarantine efforts but also help eliminate false vaccination reports that remain prevalent among both farm owners and veterinarians.

Fourth, the working conditions of public veterinarians must be improved to prevent quarantine system failures. These officials are responsible for biosecurity, hygiene oversight of livestock products and animal welfare. In recent years, the “special quarantine period” has effectively extended throughout the entire year, making timely clock-outs a rarity. The workload is intense, yet compensation is poor. The result: an attrition rate among public veterinarians exceeding 10 percent. Both the central government and regional authorities continue to suffer from chronic staffing shortages of 15 to 30 percent. It is imperative that we improve the working conditions of public veterinarians and secure sufficient personnel as a top priority.

It is not too late for the government to fix the flaws in its quarantine system and ensure the safety of Korea’s livestock industry. The barn door may already be open — but it must still be mended. If we fail to do that, we will find ourselves trapped in a cycle of repeating the same mistakes time and again.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.