The South Korean government announced to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries, local media reported on Sunday.

South Korea's National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service announced Saturday that US and Mexican pork to be imported from Monday will be put in quarantine to check if it was infected with the disease.

The quarantine agency will also conduct inspections of the belongings of tourists who have traveled to the US and Mexico, local media said.

The World Health Organization confirmed on Saturday that dozens of people had been diagnosed with swine influenza in Mexico and the United States.

According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, South Korea imported 28,726 tons of pork from the United States and 208 tons of pork from Mexico in the first quarter of this year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2009)