South Korea to counter North's potential balloon bioterrorism with new vaccine

South Korean health authority will develop a vaccine to counter potential North Korean biological terrorism using trash-laden balloons, said Jee Young-mee, chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Jee Young-mee, chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, speaks during a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

South Korean health authority will develop a vaccine to counter potential North Korean biological terrorism using trash-laden balloons, said Jee Young-mee, chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

During a parliamentary audit session of the Health and Welfare Committee on Monday, Jee said she couldn't say that North Korea has “no intent of utilizing trash-laden balloons for biochemical weapons.”

Her remarks suggest the agency is aware that Pyongyang could launch biological warfare against Seoul using balloons sent across the inter-Korean border.

Jee said that her agency believes that “stockpiling anthrax vaccine or smallpox vaccine is necessary to prepare against diseases spread by bioterrorism attacks.”

Jee said the agency aims to complete the vaccine development this year and begin stockpiling the antidotes next year. She also added that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to approve the anthrax vaccine developed by the KDCA this year.

She noted that the development would be the “world’s first recombinant anthrax vaccine.” The vaccine compound is obtained by cultivating and purifying genetically engineered Bacillus brevis, according to pharmaceutical company GC Biopharma, which jointly developed the vaccine with the KDCA.

Bacillus brevis typically causes anthrax, a deadly disease that presents with respiratory symptoms and skin lesions.

Jee stressed the need for additional budgetary support and underscored the agency’s effort to continue stockpiling step by step. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong also promised proactive cooperation in the vaccine preparation during the audit session.

In June, the KDCA — the state authority responsible for emergency responses to diseases caused by bioterrorism — signed an agreement with the Army’s Chemical, Biological and Radioactive Defense Command to enhance readiness and response to such attacks and accidents.

On Tuesday morning, Pyongyang launched filth-laden balloons toward Seoul, said the South Korean military. The latest balloon launch marked the 26th since the first launch in May.

From the first to 22nd launches, the regime sent approximately 5,530 trash balloons this year, according to a report from the local newspaper Chosun Ilbo, which cited data from Rep. Chai Hyun-il of the liberal Democratic Party.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]