With the latest infections, South Korea has had a total of nine confirmed FMD cases since the first outbreak was reported on Feb. 5. Out of the nine, seven broke out in Boeun, while each case was from the southwestern region of North Jeolla Province and Gyeonggi Province.

Last week, the government raised the watch level to the highest in the country's disease control system and closed all livestock trading markets across the nation while instituting a movement ban on animals until Feb. 28.

It is the first time in seven years that the country issued the highest alert against the FMD virus. In 2010, nearly 3.5 million FMD-infected cows and pigs were culled over nearly six months.

The FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cows, sheep and pigs. South Korea reported its last outbreak of the disease on March 29 last year. The disease does not affect humans.

At the same time, the country has already been struggling with the rapidly spreading avian influenza for nearly three months, with more than 30 million chickens and ducks culled. (Yonhap)