(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Han Ju-hong = The Central Response Headquarters for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) announced on the 9th that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 strain) has been confirmed in a laying hen farm (with 237,000+ birds) in Sejong. The Central Response Headquarters has deployed an initial response team to the farm to control access, and is implementing emergency culling and epidemiological investigations. Additionally, a 24-hour temporary suspension of movement has been ordered for laying hen farms and related facilities and vehicles in Sejong and the four neighboring cities and counties (Cheonan and Gongju in South Chungcheong, Cheongju in North Chungcheong, and Daejeon). This case is the 42nd outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry farms during the winter of 2025-2026, and is the first occurrence in Sejong. The Central Response Headquarters stated, "The farm where the outbreak occurred has a history of two highly pathogenic AI outbreaks within the last five years," and "As this is the third confirmed occurrence, a 70% reduction in the livestock evaluation price will be applied when evaluating the compensation for culling." On the same day, the Central Response Headquarters held a meeting chaired by Park Jeong-hoon, Director of the Food Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and decided to strengthen disease control management. First, they will continue to operate a one-to-one dedicated official system for farms raising 50,000 or more laying hens nationwide, and plan to strengthen management for 12 densely populated laying hen complexes and 74 large-scale laying hen farms raising 200,000 or more birds by the 14th. For densely populated complexes and large-scale laying hen farms, they will verify whether quarantine measures are being implemented upon each entry, and will restrict the removal of manure until the 14th, before the Lunar New Year holiday. Additionally, they will conduct detailed inspections and quarantine checks for 28 related farms in the affected corporation and its affiliates, and will perform intensive disinfection and environmental inspections for livestock vehicles and items entering the farms. Park Jeong-hoon, Director of the Food Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, urged, "Recently, highly pathogenic AI has been occurring successively in several provinces and cities across the country, not limited to specific regions," and "Local governments and poultry farmers should be vigilant and do their best to manage disease control."