As the World Health Organization(WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, the country's health authorities announced it would strengthen its response to block the inflow of cases into South Korea.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) on Monday, it has designated eight African countries, including Rwanda and Burundi, for tighter quarantine screening.

The KDCA said that the total number of mpox cases reported in the country as of last Friday stands at eleven, much less than the 151 cases reported last year.

The type of mpox cases reported domestically is said to be the Clade II variant, which has a lower transmissibility and mortality rate than the Clade I variant that has recently become prevalent in Africa.

The KDCA stressed that it can stably manage the virus situation under the current management system, but it has prepared measures to block the inflow and spread of the virus in case of an emergency.