At a government meeting, Moon Jae-In said that the coming days will be of utmost importance in combating the spread of infection, writes the news agency AP.

The fifth death, a 57-year-old woman suffering from chronic kidney disease when she was found to be infected, is the second reported on Sunday.

South Korea is now the second worst affected by the corona virus after China, given the number of cases on the mainland. With the cruise ship Diamond Princess included, hundreds more cases have been found in Japan.

Half is connected to the congregation

According to South Korea's infection control authority, around half of the country's patients have connections to the Schincheonji Church in the country's fourth largest city of Daegu. Many members have been infected since an infected ward member visited the ward meetings.

The Shincheonji Church regrets that it is forced to suspend its religious meetings, but founder Lee Man-hee tells his followers that the outbreak is a devil's invention and compares it to the ordeal of Job in the Old Testament.

More than 6,000 people are currently being tested for the virus, a spokesperson for the Infection Protection Agency states.