Compiled by the ENCLAI research team following a documented methodology · Editorial oversight: Dr Natalya Mathur, Founder · Data last updated: (UTC)

Legionellosis in South Korea: 2026 cases and outbreak reports

Reported legionellosis surveillance for South Korea (KOR) — ▲ Rising · 2025 — latest record 2026-11-04

What the 2026 data shows

As of 26 October 2026, South Korea has reported 723 legionellosis cases in 2026, compiled from figures published by South Korea KDCA and 1 other reporting authority. The full year 2025 closed at 640 cases. 2025 closed 42% above 2024, which is why the trend reads “Rising”.

Of the 7 countries reporting legionellosis to ENCLAI in 2026, South Korea accounts for 11.1% of reported cases and ranks 2 by case count.

ENCLAI has logged 177 surveillance records for legionellosis in South Korea in 2026, with the most detailed reporting in Jul 2026 (135 records). 8 of those arrived in the last 30 days; the case counts run to 2026-10-26. 2 distinct surveillance sources reported this pair in 2026.

Reporting authorities for these counts: South Korea KDCA · Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency — Province-Level Surveillance

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Surveillance summary

2026 cases (YTD)
723
2025 cases (full year)
640
Baseline avg (3yr)
N/A
Trend (2025)
▲ Rising · 2025
+42% vs 2024

Reported cases by year, South Korea

YearReported casesShare of worldwide reports
2023 not reported —
2024 452 39.8%
2025 640 6.7%
2026 (year to date) 723 11.1%

Reporting bounds and case definitions vary; historical baselines are a separate comparison measure. Worldwide share compares this country's reported figure with the sum of all countries reporting legionellosis to ENCLAI for that year. "Incomplete year" means our sources cover less than ten months of that year, so no full-year figure is shown; "outbreak total to date" is a running total since an outbreak began, not a count for one year.

Surveillance records logged in 2026

MonthRecordsReporting sources
Mar 202661
Apr 202641
May 202641
Jun 202651
Jul 20261351
Aug 202641
Sep 202651
Oct 2026112
Nov 202632

A record is one dated surveillance publication or one row of an official table; a month with many records is a month with detailed reporting, not necessarily more cases. 8 records were logged in the last 30 days.

Sub-national reporting, 2026

Areas within South Korea with the most legionellosis records this year:

AreaRecords
Busan1
Daegu1
Gyeonggi-do1
Gyeongsangbuk-do1
Gyeongsangnam-do1

Legionellosis in other countries, 2026

Country2026 casesTrend
United States 4,988 ▲ Rising · 2025
Australia 646
New Zealand 64 ≈ Stable · 2025
Lithuania 42 ▲ Rising · 2025
Singapore 19

Other diseases reported in South Korea, 2026

Disease2026 casesTrend
Carbapenem-resistant organism infection 46,917 ≈ Stable · 2025
Varicella 32,970 ≈ Stable · 2025
Scarlet fever 11,108 ▲ Rising · 2025
Mumps 5,424 ≈ Stable · 2025
Hepatitis C 4,933 ≈ Stable · 2025

Questions about this page

How many legionellosis cases has South Korea reported in 2026?
As of 26 October 2026, South Korea has reported 723 legionellosis cases in 2026, compiled from figures published by South Korea KDCA and 1 other reporting authority. The full year 2025 closed at 640 cases. 2025 closed 42% above 2024, which is why the trend reads “Rising”.
Is legionellosis rising or falling in South Korea?
ENCLAI's trend reading for legionellosis in South Korea is “Rising · 2025”: the latest complete year is compared with the earlier baseline from the reported counts; the current year is not judged until it closes.
Where does South Korea publish legionellosis surveillance data?
The counts on this page were published by South Korea KDCA and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency — Province-Level Surveillance. ENCLAI compiles and normalises them and is not affiliated with these authorities.

About this data

Figures are reported case counts as published by the originating health authorities, compiled by ENCLAI from 444 verified surveillance sources. South Korea figures reflect the reporting available to ENCLAI; reporting periods and case definitions differ between sources, and a missing report does not establish zero cases. ENCLAI holds legionellosis records for South Korea dated from 2024. How we verify and update data: methodology & Trust Center · understanding case counts.

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The daily disease brief

One email a day: what changed in official disease reporting worldwide, with the source named for every number. Reported facts only — no forecasts and no interpretation.

Double opt-in — we send a confirmation link and nothing else until you click it. One-click unsubscribe on every email. See our privacy notice.