The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said that in a bid to prevent the country from falling victim to the outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease among European livestock, South Korea extended the quarantine period for pigs and pork imported from 10 European countries.

In the latest measure, the government extended the quarantine for pigs and pork imported from four countries Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Ireland from the current 15 and 3 days to 30 and 21 days, respectively.

All four countries have been importing pigs and pork products from the United Kingdom where the disease has led to the destruction of several herds.

Quarantine for pigs and pork imported from the other six European countries increased to 30 and 14 days each.

A ministry official said the government extended the period in consideration of the disease's latency period.

Meanwhile, the government lifted a ban on the imports of ruminant animals and their meats from Brazil as no cases of hoof-and-mouth disease have surfaced in the country. The ban went into effect on Feb. 4.