The study showed about 16,000 farm animals would be gathered out of the west of Seoul after an outbreak of a highly transmittable foot and mouth disease spread in the region.

The Ministry of Agriculture decided to step up preventive gathering to stop the disease from spreading. All cloven hoofed animals within three kilometers of the first contaminated farm would be gathered.

The ministry shared that cattle on a farm on Ganghwa Island tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

In addition to that two more cases of the disease have been confirmed. The officials also restricted movement of the people and vehicles in the area, as soon as the threat of the disease was detected.

About 4000 cattle and 12,000 pigs will be butchered in 140 farms. This kind of disease affects animals such as cattle, pigs, deer, goats and sheep. The virus multiplies between animals through the air. There is no chance to transmit the disease to human.

All pork and beef exports have been halted by South Korea in January this year when the occurrence of the disease was confirmed in Pocheon, in the north east of Seoul.