Good morning, fellow Koreans,

A few days ago, I made a visit to Hoengseong in Gangwon Province where people were taking preventive measures against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Despite freezing temperatures, which were worse on that particular day, a large number of military troops, police officers, public officials and volunteers were working hard on the streets just as I was told. I was able to hear what people on the scene had to say when I spoke with the head of the village, the county governor and some livestock farmers.

In Korea, it is the first time that approximately 130,000 heads of cattle and more than 2 million swine had to be culled. However, many countries around the world have already suffered massive-scale epidemics of FMD. The disease, which originated in Europe, spread to South America and then started to rapidly sweep East Asia a couple of years ago.

In Taiwan, approximately 4 million livestock were culled in 1997 due to FMD. In the United Kingdom, more than 6 million had to be buried in 2001. I saw news reports that the outbreaks cost the governments and private sectors an enormous amount of money at that time. Since then, leading livestock farming countries in Europe have striven to develop effective vaccines and have animals inoculated against the disease, which resulted in a reduction of damage.

After sustaining huge losses caused by the FMD, the European Union has recently changed its policy and allowed the use of emergency vaccines. The 2001 outbreak of FMD in Uruguay in South America prompted the country to continue its exhaustive administration of vaccinations. Thanks to such endeavors, the disease has never since then erupted in Uruguay, and the country maintains its status as an FMD-free country.

Looking back upon this outbreak, I came to realize that our country is no longer immune to the extensive harm wreaked by foot-and-mouth disease. Furthermore, as countries across the globe are linked closely like a net these days, risk factors including FMD virus are spreading rapidly. As of now, more than 20 million people annually travel in and out of Korea. Annually, over 8 million people travel back and forth between our country and Asian countries where FMD constantly occur.

Under these conditions, the effect of quarantine measures cannot but be limited. The outbreak of FMD this time has also followed in the wake of an overseas group tour by those working in the livestock industry. Considering all these circumstances, vaccination is the best policy.

Last month, our Government took urgent measures to procure vaccine reserves from neighboring countries, including Japan. The Government also wasted no time in ordering vaccines from companies in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the only two countries to produce FMD vaccines, thereby securing vaccines for 12 million heads of livestock. The subsequent vaccinations significantly lowered the number of livestock that tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease. Consequently, an increasing number of regions are showing signs that the rampage of the disease has slowed. By the end of this month, the first round of vaccinations of cattle and swine will have been completed. It is thus expected that the outbreak will be somewhat eased in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year holidays.

For now, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the only countries manufacturing internationally approved vaccines. But the Government will actively review the possibility of producing vaccines in Korea. By carrying out vaccinations, we will be able to prevent this kind of serious damage from reoccurring.

Nevertheless, it is very important to comply with prevention and quarantine rules at all times. We must refer to the practices of livestock farmers of other advanced nations that comply with safety measures in normal times, too. Although inconvenient, I would like to ask all citizens to cooperate in the disease prevention efforts during the Lunar New Year holidays. The Government will also install necessary potable water systems and render other support on an urgent basis.

I want to thank and applaud the civil servants engaging in the disease prevention endeavors, who will not be able to rest even during the Lunar New Year holidays. At the same time, I would like to extend profound condolences to the families of those who passed away during the prevention effort.

My fellow Koreans,

We will soon celebrate the holidays. I hope you will have a joyous time with family members during one of the longest holiday periods that we have had in a long while. Take special care of your health, and during the Lunar New Year period, please take precautions to be safe. The weather is very cold. Please take care of your health.

Thank you very much.