The South Korean delegation to the upcoming Summer Universiade on home soil has set up safety measures to fight Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, its top official said Thursday.

You Byong-jin, president of the Korea University Sports Board, said a physician with expertise in MERS will join the delegation and will be charged with looking after the country's 382 athletes and 134 officials.

Gwangju, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, and its satellite towns will stage the Universiade, a multisport competition for university athletes, from July 3 to 14. Gwangju is the third South Korean host of the Universiade, after Muju and Jeonju, both in North Jeolla Province, co-hosted the winter edition in 1997 and Daegu held the summer event in 2003.

"We have included prevention and control measures for MERS in the handbook for our delegation," You said. "We will also bring our athletes up to date on the disease and educate them on how they can prevent infection."

You said athletes or officials showing symptoms of MERS will be immediately replaced. They will be encouraged to wear masks and use hand sanitizer in the athletes' village.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported two additional deaths from MERS, raising the total death toll to 29.

This year's Universiade will be the largest in the event's history. The organizing committee said 12,737 athletes and officials from 145 nations had registered as of 3 p.m. Monday, surpassing the 11,759 who participated in the 2013 event in Kazan, Russia. (Yonhap)