South Korea has designated monkeypox as a Class Two contagious disease amid growing concerns around the world that the virus may become the next epidemic.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA), the designation took effect at 12 a.m. on Wednesday, eight days after it announced a decision on such a move.

The agency said the designation paves the way for an effective management system to swiftly respond if and when the virus breaks out in the nation.

Classified among the second most serious communicable diseases, the monkeypox virus is now legally subject to compulsory reporting and quarantine. Currently, around 20 other diseases have been designated in the nation as Class Two infectious diseases in a four-class scheme, such as COVID-19, tuberculosis and chickenpox.

According to the World Health Organization, around 780 monkeypox cases have been reported in 27 non-endemic countries as of Sunday since its first outbreak outside Africa early last month.