South Korea's health ministry announced Tuesday that two people had died from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Yonhap news agency reported.

A 58-year-old woman who died of acute respiratory failure late Monday had tested positive for MERS, Yonhap said, making her the country's first confirmed death from the virus.

The second victim was a 71-year-old man, who had been confirmed to have the virus on May 28. The Yonhap report did not say when the man died.