Both South and North Korea have been afflicted with foot & mouth disease, with South Korea reeling from the most serious outbreak in its history. Reports from South Korea’s Unification Ministry state the North Korea has also been affected with the disease. Foot & mouth disease is highly contagious among animals with hoof-feet, such as cows, pigs and goats—a valuable resource for the starving country. The disease causes large blisters on the feet and mouths of animals that can rupture and seriously harm the animal, sometimes resulting in death. In rare cases, the disease can spread to humans as well.
As South Korea (as well as Japan) systematically slaughters over 1 billion US dollars worth of livestock in order to quarantine the disease, a more frugal North Korea is containing some afflicted animals, but eating others. A similar crisis on the Korea peninsula occurred in 2007, and cooperation between the rival states helped stem the outbreak; however heightened tensions and South Korea’s hard line stance towards the North may hamper such cooperation in 2011.
Source: BBC News / Korea JoongAng Daily
