South Korea on Monday reported the first confirmed case of China coronavirus amid concerns that a pneumonia-like illness is set to spread across China and Asia.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Chinese woman suffered fever, respiratory problems and other symptoms after arriving at Incheon International Airport and tested positive for the virus.

She traveled to the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei Province last week. The patient has been given treatment at a local hospital, the country's public health and safety agency said.

New cases of people coming down with pneumonia-like symptoms have been reported in Japan and Thailand.

Beijing has said the new strain of coronavirus is not contagious between people, but the World Health Organization is not ruling out person-to-person transmission under certain conditions, the center said. (Yonhap)