Korea to resume beef exports to Hong Kong despite LSD outbreak

Economy

Published: 14 Nov. 2023, 15:48

Korea to resume beef exports to Hong Kong despite LSD outbreak

A cow vaccinated against lumpy skin disease eats cattle feed at a farm in Daejeon on Wednesday. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Korea has won approval from Hong Kong to ship locally bred beef from all regions starting this week despite a recent outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday.

Since its first-ever LSD outbreak in late October, the country has been prohibited from shipping hanwoo, or Korean beef, to Hong Kong from all regions but North Gyeongsang and Jeju Island, where no infections have been reported.

Hanwoo cattle are an indigenous cow breed raised specifically for premium meat production.

Hanwoo exports to Hong Kong will resume Wednesday. The policy, however, apply only to meat, and will exclude other byproducts such as intestines.

Hong Kong took up nearly 64 percent of Korea's hanwoo shipments through early November of this year, accounting for 33.5 tons of the 52.6 tons shipped, according to the agriculture ministry.

The country has confirmed 95 LSD cases nationwide so far, including two from Tuesday. Authorities are investigating two suspected cases as well, the ministry said.

BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]