The government has decided to set up a special measures committee on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad cow disease, headed by the Vice Agriculture and Forestry Minister to cope with the possibility of an outbreak of the dreaded disease in the country.

The move came during a meeting chaired by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Han Kap-soo. The meeting was attended by a number of high-ranking government officials, including the Vice Welfare Minister, the Vice Environment Minister, the Director of the Korea Food and Drug Administration and the Director of the Rural Development Administration.

They also agreed to set up an expert team comprised of director-level officials from each of the related ministries.