Gyeonggi Province Provides Alternate Site for Woo-Suk Hwang's Pig Farm

Gyeonggi Province has decided to provide the Livestock Testing Facility of the Gyeonggi Province Livestock Sanitation Research Institute as an alternate site for Prof. Woo-Suk Hwang's research team at Seoul National University, which has been facing difficulties with relocating their experimental germ-free pig farm.

According to the provincial government on the 8th, the province has established a policy to provide the Livestock Testing Facility of the Gyeonggi Province Livestock Sanitation Research Institute located in Namsabupmyeon, Yongin as an alternate site for Prof. Hwang's research team's experimental germ-free pig farm, and has begun conducting facility inspections.

The Livestock Testing Facility currently primarily conducts artificial pig insemination projects, extracting semen from breeding boars and sending it to pig farms throughout the province. The facility sits on approximately 270,000 pyeong of land with 19 buildings including pig houses and administrative buildings, with pig houses accounting for 3 buildings (690 pyeong).

Two weeks ago, the province heard from Prof. Hwang's research team that "the lease on the pig farm in Hongseong, South Chungcheong, expires in November and it is difficult to secure an alternate site," after which it immediately began internal review on whether the Livestock Testing Facility could be used as an alternate site.

The working-level staff in charge of the review raised concerns that, given the nature of the testing facility which conducts semen distribution projects for securing high-quality breeding stock, there is a risk of disease transmission if pigs from outside enter for different purposes, and that an additional pig house of 400 pyeong or more would be necessary, making it difficult to provide an alternate site.

However, the province made a decision to provide active support, taking responsibility for attracting Prof. Hwang's germ-free pig production and research facility, the "Bio Organ Production Research Facility," to Gwanggyo Techno Valley in Uicheon-dong, Suwon, and judging highly the research value of Prof. Hwang's research team.

Accordingly, the province held an emergency meeting on the evening of the 7th to provide an alternate site, and confirmed plans to strengthen quarantine facilities at the Livestock Testing Facility beyond current levels and provide the facility to Prof. Hwang's research team after upgrading and repairing it.

The province believes there should be no significant problems accommodating the approximately 200 experimental germ-free pigs needed for research, as the Livestock Testing Facility can accommodate approximately 400 pigs, and currently houses only 45 breeding boars.

Furthermore, quarantine facilities such as vehicle disinfection equipment and enclosed pig houses are already well equipped, so the province believes that with the addition of some equipment and facilities to prevent disease transmission, it will be possible to prevent infection between breeding boars for artificial insemination and experimental germ-free pigs.

The province plans to complete a detailed facility inspection of the Livestock Testing Facility by the end of this week, formally propose the facility as an alternate site to Prof. Hwang's research team during the following week, and begin joint facility upgrade and repair work.

A provincial official stated, "The province's policy is to spare no support so that Prof. Hwang's research team can focus on research with peace of mind until they move into the 'Bio Organ Production Research Facility,' which will be completed by the end of next year at the latest." <Yonhapnews>