South Korea confirmed Thursday that two South Koreans have been infected by a bacterium resistant to most antibiotics.

The Health Ministry said two people were infected with NDM-1 CRE (Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae) at a hospital in the capital area.

One of the patients, a male in his 50s, has had long-term interstitial lung disease and his immune system has been weakened by long-term use of steroids. The other patient, a female in her 70s, has been hospitalized for a long time due to diabetes.

The ministry said NDM-1 CRE usually affects patients who are being treated in intensive care units for a long period of time or whose immune systems have been significantly weakened. However, the ministry said that it is highly unlikely that people will be infected with it in their daily life or that the bacterium will spread.

NDM-1 CRE was first found in India in 2008 and infected some 150 patients. A total of 350 people in 14 nations have been infected with it globally and only one has died.