Seoul: South Korea will import 2.24 million fresh eggs from the United States this month to help stabilize domestic egg prices amid the recent spread of highly contagious avian influenza (AI), the agriculture ministry said Wednesday. The eggs will be purchased by the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp., and distributed to supermarkets and food ingredient suppliers here, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this will mark the first time in two years for South Korea to purchase U.S.-produced eggs, with the last import occurring in January 2024. The move is part of a preemptive measure against a potential egg supply shortage, as the country has been dealing with the spread of highly contagious bird flu in recent months.

Since the start of the cold season, more than 4.32 million laying hens have been culled at farms affected by AI, as reported by the ministry. Despite these challenges, the ministry stated that the country's egg supply currently remains stable, with the number of laying hens growing 1.2 percent from a year earlier as of the end of 2025. However, daily egg production dropped 1.1 percent to 49 million over the cited period.

South Korea has confirmed more than 30 cases of highly contagious AI at poultry farms this winter as of Monday.