Lee Jae-yong, the presumed heir of Samsung Group, has issued a public apology for the role of a Samsung hospital in the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, even as new cases of the disease seemed to be levelling off.

Mr Lee, who turned 47 on Tuesday, bowed deeply during a nationally televised press conference as he apologised for missteps by the prestigious Samsung Medical Centre, which complicated the country’s battle against the outbreak of the disease. About half of South Korea’s 175 Mers cases have been traced to the hospital.

“Our Samsung Medical Centre could not stop the infection and the spread of Mers, causing so much pain and worry for the public,” Mr Lee said, vowing to revamp care at the hospital in the wealthy Gangnam district.