MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted a five-year ban on the importation of processed pork products from South Korea after authorities deemed them safe from African Swine Fever (ASF).

Under Memorandum Order No. 23 issued by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the DA is allowing the entry of sterilized pork products from South Korea that meet stringent heat treatment standards—either processed with an Fo value of 3 or higher in hermetically sealed containers or cooked for at least 30 minutes at 70°C.

The ban was first imposed in 2019 through DA Memorandum Order No. 26 amid a global ASF outbreak that prompted the government to tighten controls on imported meat products.

The agency reversed the restriction after a recent Import Risk Analysis (IRA) dated April 8 concluded that South Korea’s sterilized pork products are safe and compliant with World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines. The report highlighted the country’s robust ASF control measures, veterinary supervision, and secure packaging systems that ensure the shelf-stability of exported meat.

“The findings indicate that these products pose negligible risk to local livestock,” the DA said in a statement.

The lifting of the ban is expected to increase pork supply in the local market and could mark a step toward warmer agricultural trade relations between the Philippines and South Korea.