It affects cows, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals. Humans can not catch the disease. Devastating impact If it spreads widely, it could have a devastating impact on the country's livestock industry. Japan, Taiwan and Australia suspended beef and pork imports from South Korea when reports of disease among Korean cattle first surfaced last week. Hong Kong and Singapore have followed suit.
Japan is South Korea's largest export market for pork products.
The government said it would buy the meat from farmers or reimburse farmers who have to sell their meat at lower prices. It is considering the suspension of straw imports from China, Taiwan and South Korea, fearing it could the cause of the outbreak. Government The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other Asia-Pacific stories are at the foot of the page.