[1][2] As parts of the culling process, it was reported by some sections of the English-language media that the South Korean government had decided to bury approximately 1.4 million pigs alive, which drew complaints from animal activists.
[2] Joyce D'Silva, Director of Public Affairs for Compassion in World Farming, said that they are "appalled", and argued that it is contrary to international guidelines on humane culling, which the South Korean government allegedly endorsed.
[3] However the local media had only reported that there had been incidents of swine being buried alive, and that a South Korean agriculture ministry official had confirmed some incidents, but that they had been few, explaining that "officials are rushed to stop the spread, and the number of people involved is too small for the operation,"[1] and that until a more humane way to cull the infected swine is found, the government will have to resort to burying the infected animals alive because the "government has temporarily run out of euthanasia drugs.
[1] According to Kim Jae-hong, a veterinary science professor at Seoul National University, the outbreak is "the most serious in Korea's history" and it is difficult to say when the spread of the disease will be stopped, and he said that "the most important thing right now is to control movement in and out of the farmhouses that are affected, and thoroughly disinfect the cars around the area".
[1] South Korea's Citizens' Institute for Environmental Studies revealed 32 places that had dead livestocks buried around 4 drinking water facilities in Gyeonggi-do.