South Korea reported the highest tuberculosis (TB) incident and death rate among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2004. 

The number of TB cases particularly increased in 2004 after a steady decline over the past decade. 

Last year, one of every 311 Koreans contracted TB, bring the national figure to 155,000 TB patients. 

However, the country is now increasing its efforts in battling tuberculosis as today marks the 24th World Tuberculosis Day. 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will hold a special event in Seoul on Friday, along with 300 medical and health experts and relevant officials to help prevent the disease nationwide. 

The event is intended to educate the public about the devastating health and economic consequences of TB and its continued tragic impact on global health. 

According to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 31,503 new TB patients were detected in 2004, of whom 38.7 percent were in their 20s or 30s - the largest age group represented among new TB patients - signaling that more effort is needed to fight the disease. 

The number of TB patients grew 11.6 percent to 35,269 last year from 31,503 in 2004. 

By age, TB patients aged between 15-64 represent 74.3 percent of all cases, while 24.4 percent are elderly patients. 

Respiratory tuberculosis ranks 10th as a cause of death among Korean males, while it ranks seventh for females. 

In 2004, TB killed 2,948 people, four times higher than the 721 who died from AIDS. 

A TB expert has said current TB patients are infected by patients who contracted it when it struck here during the 1950s and 1960s. 

As the elderly who were infected with TB during those times are still alive, the number of TB patients remains high in Korea, compared to other advanced countries, the expert said. 

Generally, half of those who contract TB show symptoms within two years. 

The rest remain as TB carriers, without symptoms, likely infecting others until they eventually die. 

The Korean government has spent about eight billion won combating the disease, less than the Japanese government which spends about one trillion won annually in attempting to eradicate the disease. 

Among infectious diseases, TB still remains the second leading killer of adults in the world, claiming more than 2 million lives each year and it remains a threat to the health and well-being of people everywhere.