The United States has raised its travel advisory for South Korea, urging travelers to exercise increased caution amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
 
The State Department increased the advisory for the country on Saturday from the lowest to the second lowest level on its four-tier alert system.
 
Level 2, which calls for exercising "increased caution," compares with a Level 4 "do not travel" for China.
 
The department said on its Web site that many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with travel to or from mainland China or close contact with a travel-related case, but sustained community spread has been reported in South Korea.
 
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a Level 2 health notice for South Korea, calling for "enhanced precautions" when traveling to the country.
 
The measure comes after South Korea has reported 433 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, including two deaths.