South Korea has announced a stimulus package to boost its sluggish economy which has been hit by an outbreak of the MERS virus.<br /><br /> Twelve billion euros (15 trillion won or $13.5 billion) is to be injected to offset reduced growth forecasts.<br /><br /> The finance ministry said it expected growth to be 3.1 percent in 2015, down from a projection of 3.8 percent last December.<br /><br /> The latest outbreak of the viral disease has hit consumer spending and the leisure and tourism industries.<br /><br /> More than 120,000 foreign tourists have cancelled trips to South Korea over the past month.<br /><br /> News of the stimulus package comes as the country’s health ministry announced two more deaths from MERS – bringing the total to 29 in the latest outbreak – and one more confirmed case. <br /><br /> “As of June 25, among the 180 confirmed MERS patients, 74 have been cured and discharged from hospital. On that basis, the rate of patients discharged is a little over 40 percent,” said Kwon Deok-cheol, South Korean Health and Welfare Minis
