Soldiers board a train at a station in Paju, north of Seoul, as they are allowed to go on vacation after more than two months of restrictions amid fears about the spread of the new coronavirus on May. 8. (Yonhap)Three Army officers, an Air Force civilian worker and seven airmen have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday.
The airmen and the civilian employee in Seosan, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 after a guest lecturer who visited their base earlier this week tested positive for the virus, according to the ministry.
"The education took place in compliance with anti-virus rules, such as wearing masks and keeping distance," a ministry official said, adding that contact tracing is under way to figure out the exact route of the infections.
In Yangju, just north of Seoul, two Army officers tested positive for the virus. One of them showed symptoms after attending the funeral of a family member and the other was found to be infected in a follow-up virus test conducted at the base. All the other members at the base have tested negative for the virus.
Another Army officer in Anyang, just south of the capital, tested positive after coming into contact with a civilian COVID-19 patient while off-duty.
The military has restricted movement to and from all three of the bases, the ministry said.
The latest cases brought the total number of COVID-19 cases related to the military population to 189.
Nationwide, South Korea added 191 more virus cases, the highest in more than two months, raising the total caseload to 28,133. (Yonhap)