The government has decided to allow the hunting of wild boars with the use of rifles in parts of the North Korea border area as African swine fever was detected in dead boars for the second straight day in those areas.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Hyeon-soo said on Sunday during a meeting on ASF that the government decided to take the emergency step as four wild boars tested positive for the deadly virus on Friday and Saturday in the Cheorwon and Yeoncheon areas.

The government designated the Cheorwon and Yeoncheon areas as ASF infection risk zones, putting up fences to block the movement of wild boars.

It will also allow wild boar hunting in the areas located in a 300-kilometer radius of the two zones as soon as steps are taken to block the travel of wild boars.

Five areas that reported ASF cases at pig farms were designated as buffer zones along with five cities and counties close to the areas. The government plans to ban boar hunting in the zones, but set up more traps until the end of this month.