South Korea Sunday reported its second death from influenza A, raising concerns that the country is no longer safe from the contagious disease that is spreading worldwide.
The patient, whose identity has been withheld, is a 63-year old woman. She was presumed to have died from complications stemming from the new flu, though the exact reason was still under investigation, health authorities said.
On Saturday, a man in his 50s died of pneumonia apparently caused by the H1N1 virus, widely known as swine flu, marking the country's first flu-related death since the first case was reported in South Korea in early May.
The deceased, whose identity also has been withheld, recently returned from a trip to Thailand. He later complained of high fever and was admitted to a local hospital where he was later found to be infected with the H1N1 virus, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
News of the deaths alarmed the nation, sparking concerns that it is no longer insulated from the global pandemic.
The death came just hours after the ministry confirmed an additional 62 cases of the new flu overnight, bringing the total number of infections in South Korea to 2,032.
Once infected by the virus, the patient often dies from pneumonia, a common complication.
As of Saturday, 402 people remained in isolation in South Korea at their homes or state-designated hospitals. The other patients have recovered after being treated with antibiotics.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the flu, which has claimed about 1,500 lives worldwide since the disease was first identified in April.