The Quarantine Headquarters, ahead of the Lunar New Year, strengthens inspections to prevent illegal entry of livestock and agricultural products.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Han Ju-hong = The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on the 5th that it will strengthen animal and plant border inspections for two weeks from the 9th to the 22nd in preparation for the increase in overseas traveler movement and the import of agricultural and livestock products ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. To prevent illegal imports of overseas agricultural and livestock products, the agency has designated Vietnam, China, Mongolia, and Thailand, which had many illegal imports last year, as high-risk routes and plans to expand the use of quarantine-dedicated X-ray priority searches and quarantine detection dogs. It will also conduct monitoring of illegal agricultural and livestock products sold through online shopping sites. Furthermore, to block the distribution of illegally imported agricultural and livestock products, the agency will conduct special inspections with the Plant Quarantine Metropolitan Investigation Team and joint inspections with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and strengthen the management of the distribution and sale of illegally imported agricultural and livestock products in relation to the recent outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). Chief of the Agency, Choi Jeong-rok, said, "We will thoroughly conduct border inspections during the Lunar New Year holiday to prevent the inflow of overseas animal infectious diseases and pests" and urged, "Please refrain from bringing in agricultural and livestock products when visiting overseas and follow quarantine rules."