Shilla hotel halts business on Jeju over MERS

Hotel Shilla, the luxury accommodation affiliate of South Korea's biggest conglomerate, Samsung Group, said Thursday that it has suspended its business on the southern resort island of Jeju over the deadly MERS virus.

   Shilla said its operations will not be resumed until after concerns over the possible transmission of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome are dispelled.

   It said it has asked its guests to leave the hotel on the island.

   The announcement came after media reports that an unidentified person stayed at the hotel along with family members between June 5 and 8 before the person was confirmed to have been infected with the virus. No details about the person were immediately available.

   The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it was tracing all those who have come in close contact with the patient.

   Samsung is under fire from the public as its hospital unit, Samsung Medical Center, has been blamed for nearly half of all the transmissions in the country.

   Also Thursday, three patients died from MERS, bringing the death toll to 23.

   South Korea also confirmed three new cases of the viral respiratory disease, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with it to 165. (Yonhap)