South Korea bans British pork imports

The South Korean government banned imports of British pork and pigs following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the Agriculture Ministry said today.

Shipments of pork and live pigs will be sent back or destroyed, a statement said, adding that all quarantine inspections of British pork have been suspended until further notice.

South Korea imported 164 live pigs and 804 tons of pork from Britain this year, equivalent to 0.5% of total imports.

British veterinary experts were trying to establish if the disease, which led to the culling of millions of pigs and cattle in 2001, originated from a government laboratory.