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South Korea to raise disease alert level to highest as coronavirus cases climb

South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during his New Year press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday that the government will raise the country's disease alert by one notch to the highest level in a bid to contain a surge in new coronavirus cases.

New coronavirus cases in the country jumped by 123 to 556 on Sunday and the death toll rose to five, according to the Korea Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention.

(Reporting By Jane Chung; Editing by Kim Coghill)