The U.S. has maintained its travel advisory status for South Korea at Level Two as it substantially increases the number of countries subject to its higher travel alerts. 

According to the U.S. Department of State, South Korea remains under Level Two: Exercise Increased Caution, the second lowest in its four-tier travel alert system, following an update carried out on Tuesday. 

Earlier this week, the state department said it would update its travel advisories to further reflect assessments from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expecting to increase the number of countries at Level Four to approximately 80 percent of nations worldwide.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of the countries subject to Level Four rose to 95 from the previous 34, and is expected to climb further. 

As of Wednesday morning, China and Japan are classified as Level Three: Reconsider Travel, while North Korea is under Level Four.