The alert level was upgraded from ‘attention’, in an effort to raise awareness about the country’s recent
bird flu outbreaks.
The decision was made in consultation with the National Security Council (NSC) and relevant institutions.
There are four steps in the alert levels and they are determined by the seriousness of the situation – ‘concern’, ‘attention’, ‘precaution’ and ‘serious’.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Park Hong-soo announced the government’s decision to expand the cull radius from 500 metres to 3 kilometres. This means that an extra half a million fowl will be slaughtered in an attempt to contain the disease.
The government will pay compensation to farmers whose birds have been destroyed due to the quarantine measures, depending on the age and type of poultry.