South Korea is taking emergency measures to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the nation's cattle, the first on the peninsula in almost 70 years.

The authorities confirmed the outbreak on Sunday as plans were drawn up to destroy 350,000 cattle and pigs in affected areas to contain the spread of the fatal disease.

More than 93 cattle suspected of having the disease were slaughtered over the weekend in the country of Hongsong, south of Seoul.

Last week, 105 cattle were slaughtered in Paju, a village north of Seoul, where the first cases of the disease were diagnosed.

South Korean authorities have called for preventative measures to be taken in other provinces of the country.

Foot-and-mouth disease can be fatal and is highly contagious. It affects cows, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals. Humans can not catch the disease.

Devastating impact

If it spreads widely, it could have a devastating impact on the country's livestock industry.

The Korean peninsula has been free of foot-and-mouth since the last outbreak in 1934 - an outbreak in Taiwanese pigs three years ago wiped out almost all of the country's pig population.

Japan, Taiwan and Australia suspended beef and pork imports from South Korea when reports of disease among Korean cattle first surfaced last week. Hong Kong and Singapore have followed suit.

Japan had said that it would go further and ban Korean beef and pork imports if the disease turned out to be foot-and-mouth disease. Japan is South Korea's largest export market for pork products.

South Korean pork exporters, who are forecasting $400 million of exports to Japan this year, said such a ban would wipe out their entire export market.

The government said it would buy the meat from farmers or reimburse farmers who have to sell their meat at lower prices.

Japan is also investigating a potential case of foot-and-mouth after cattle disease broke out in a small farm on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

It is considering the suspension of straw imports from China, Taiwan and South Korea, fearing it could the cause of the outbreak.