South Korea is raising its alert on the new coronavirus to the "highest level", President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday, as the country reported 123 new infections.
South Korea has seen a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days after a cluster of infections emerged from a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week.
The national toll of 556 cases is now the highest outside China, apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.