Thursday, April 24, 2008; Posted: 12:02 AM
The ban from the North's quarantine office in the Kaesong complex includes birds, poultry and eggs, and will go into effect on April 26, ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said.
"North Korea has requested South Korea not to bring in poultry products whenever there were news reports on bird flu outbreaks in South Korea," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The requests were made verbally, but the latest request came in the form of a written message to the South's civilian management office in Kaesong, the official added.
South Korea has culled over 5 million birds to stem the spread of bird flu since the first outbreak was reported in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, earlier this month, causing over 30 billion won (US$30 million) in damages, according to South Korean quarantine officials. There have not been any cases of bird flu reported in North Korea.
Currently, 69 South Korean labor-intensive manufacturers are operating in Kaesong, a North Korean town just north of the demilitarized zone bisecting the two Koreas.
About 24,000 North Koreans are now working for the South Korean companies, which benefit from the North's low costs for labor and land.
South Korea sends some 8.5 tons of chicken and 127,000 eggs every month to eateries in the complex, according to the ministry.
(Yonhap)
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