Increased Military COVID-19 Cases and Isolations... What Are the Transmission Routes?

On the 23rd, as the possibility of community spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) increases, Buddhist devotees at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are having their temperatures checked before entering the Daeungjeon Hall. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) rapidly increases domestically, the military authorities have launched a "last line of defense" to protect key military command facilities. They are making an all-out effort to prevent COVID-19 infections at the Ministry of National Defense building and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where military operation commanders gather.

On the 24th, a military official said, "From today, soldiers stationed at the Gyeryong Headquarters, where the Army, Navy, and Air Force are gathered, are prohibited from business trips to the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and conversely, personnel in Seoul are also prohibited from business trips to the provinces."

The Ministry of National Defense also decided to change the working system of the 'B2 bunker,' a nuclear protection facility inside the Joint Chiefs of Staff building. They plan to strictly control not only the commuting of military officers but also the entry of outsiders. The 'B1 bunker,' a government military command post located on Gwanaksan Mountain in Seoul and managed by the Capital Defense Command, is under the same restrictions. This site, under the jurisdiction of the Capital Defense Command, is equipped with all systems necessary for the president and military officials to command war, including the Joint Command and Control System (KJCCS) and the Tactical Command and Control System (C4I). The 'CP Tango (Theater Air Naval Ground Operation),' an Army, Navy, and Air Force operation command post located underground in the mountains of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and operated by the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, will also be controlled with the cooperation of the U.S. side.

This military policy is due to the spread of COVID-19 confirmed cases within the military itself. The number of confirmed cases among military personnel increased from 7 on the previous day to 11 as of 8 a.m. on the day. Three soldiers from an Army unit in Pocheon and one officer from an Army unit in Daegu, who tested positive, are suspected to have been infected by confirmed cases who were already performing normal duties in the military. The additional confirmed cases in the Pocheon Army unit had contact with a confirmed Army corporal. The Daegu Army unit officer is also known to have had contact with a confirmed civilian employee.

Accordingly, the number of isolated personnel within the military has reached about 7,900. This rapid increase is due to preventive isolation measures for soldiers and civilian employees who have visited Daegu, Yeongcheon City, and Cheongdo County in North Gyeongsang Province, or whose cohabiting family members have visited these areas since the 10th.

Meanwhile, the Military Manpower Administration will temporarily suspend nationwide military service physical examinations for two weeks from February 24 to March 6. Approximately 16,700 people are subject to postponement of the military service physical examination. Depending on the situation, the suspension may continue for another two weeks. The Military Manpower Administration will individually notify those subject to the suspension by phone or alert messages. When the examinations resume, schedules will be determined reflecting the individual's preferences.

Additionally, to prevent further spread of confirmed cases, the military will hold the integrated commissioning ceremony for 117 ROTC units nationwide as an internal event without inviting families, under the supervision of each ROTC unit commander. Graduation and commissioning ceremonies at each military academy will be held under the supervision of the Minister of National Defense but will also be conducted as internal events without family invitations.