The dramatic surge in 2023 coincides with syphilis being reclassified from a Grade 4 to a Grade 3 infectious disease in January, shifting reporting requirements. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
SEOUL, Sept.11(Korea Bizwire) – The number of reported syphilis cases in South Korea has skyrocketed since the reclassification of the sexually transmitted infection under the country’s infectious disease monitoring system, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Representative Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, revealed on September 11 that 1,881 syphilis cases were recorded from January to August of this year. This figure already surpasses the total number of cases in 2023 by 4.5 times.
The data shows a concerning spread across different stages of the disease: 679 primary stage cases, 316 secondary stage cases, and notably, 39 tertiary stage cases. Additionally, nine cases of congenital syphilis were reported.
This marked increase follows a steady rise in recent years, with annual cases climbing from 330 in 2020 to 339 in 2021, and 401 in 2022. The dramatic surge in 2023 coincides with syphilis being reclassified from a Grade 4 to a Grade 3 infectious disease in January, shifting reporting requirements.
Seo emphasized the need for increased funding to curb the spread of syphilis. “The KDCA reported that currently, only partial travel expenses for epidemiological investigations are being supported within the existing budget for sexually transmitted infections,” she stated.
The lawmaker urged authorities to leverage the new comprehensive surveillance system to accurately assess the scale and epidemiological patterns of syphilis infections. “This data should serve as a basis for swift budget allocation if the spread of syphilis intensifies,” Seo added.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
