People wait in line to buy face masks in front of a store at Dongseongro shopping district in Daegu on February 27, 2020.  (Photo: AFP)

South Korea reported 315 new coronavirus cases on Friday afternoon, taking its rise on the day to 571 and overtaking the increase reported in China, where the disease first emerged.

The South -- which has an advanced health system whose statistics are regarded as reliable by observers -- now has 2,337 cases, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website.