June 24th, 2009: South Korea has confirmed seven additional cases of new flu, including five Americans, bringing the total number of infections here to 128, according to South Korean health authorities on Wednesday. The patients -- mostly American high-school students on a trip to South Korea -- tested positive for the H1N1 virus after arriving here earlier this week, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said in a statement. They are all being treated at state-designated hospitals. South Korea has remained relatively insulated from the virus but it has begun spreading faster in recent days. As of Wednesday morning, 35 people including one suspected patient are under close observation, with others having been released from hospitals after showing no further symptoms such as coughing, fever and throat pain. No deaths have been reported in South Korea.