African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease in pigs for which no vaccine currently exists, is spreading again across parts of North Korea in 2026, driving down pig numbers at both state farms and private household operations and sending pork prices sharply higher in local markets.
According to a source in South Pyongan province, the number of breeding sows at farms under the State Livestock Farm Management Bureau, the government agency responsible for overseeing North Korea’s state-run animal husbandry sector, has declined at facilities in Pukchang, Anju, Kaechon and Phyongwon. The reduction in breeding stock has cut the supply of piglets available to private households for fattening, with the result that the number of households raising pigs is now reportedly below 30% of the total, a marked drop compared with the same period last year. A source citing an official from the State Livestock Farm Management Bureau confirmed that ASF outbreaks are continuing to be reported in Phyongsong, Sunchon and Kaechon as of April 2026.
North Korea first reported an ASF outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), the international body that monitors animal disease outbreaks globally, on May 30, 2019, disclosing a case in Usi county, Jagang province. The disease subsequently spread nationwide. At that time, pork prices surged from around 8,000 North Korean won per kilogram to as high as 100,000 won. Local sources indicate that pork remains difficult to obtain in markets today.
North Korean authorities introduced a number of policies aimed at expanding piglet production through state farms, but the effort appears to have been constrained by shortages of funds, equipment and personnel.
Structural weaknesses behind the renewed outbreak
Several structural problems are driving the resurgence of ASF. First, feed ingredient shortages caused by economic hardship have made it difficult to maintain basic hygiene, and the practice of feeding pigs kitchen and food scraps has become widespread as a result. This practice is considered a significant disease transmission risk. Second, unsanitary and unregulated slaughter practices carried out near riverbanks and residential areas are facilitating the spread of infectious pathogens. Third, private household pig-raising operations, which fall outside official statistics and disease control systems, are functioning as blind spots where infection can spread undetected.
So how should North Korea respond in order to contain the disease while also stabilizing market supply?
First, the authorities need to honestly assess their failure to contain ASF quickly when outbreaks initially occurred, and to objectively examine the limitations of the existing disease control system. The response to date has placed an excessive burden on producers without providing meaningful support or workable alternatives. Even policies pursued in the name of the public interest must be flexible and realistic enough to earn the cooperation of the people whose livelihoods are at stake, or they will fail to generate trust.
Second, it is important to ensure that producers and consumers have stable basic production conditions that allow them to cooperate with state disease control measures. At the same time, consideration should be given to supplementary supply measures through limited external engagement in order to ease imbalances in the supply and demand of livestock products.
Ultimately, North Korea’s ASF response policy in the livestock sector needs to go beyond simple disease control and be designed with an eye to market stability and the daily lives of ordinary people. The effectiveness of any policy depends heavily on whether those affected by it accept and support it. Policies that fail to secure the participation and trust of the people will inevitably have limited impact, and the costs of that failure will fall back on the public.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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April 18, 2026 at 12:02AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)