4 Additional COVID-19 Cases Confirmed in Military

As social distancing was adjusted to Level 1, military personnel's leave, which had been restricted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, was fully implemented on the 12th. At Seoul Station, a soldier is waiting in the lounge to use the TMO service. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 25th that four additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed within the military.

Among them, one is a soldier belonging to the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing located in Seosan, Chungnam, where a recent cluster infection occurred. The soldier developed symptoms during quarantine and underwent diagnostic testing.

As of 10 a.m. that day, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in this unit increased to 15. The other three are one Army officer (Uijeongbu) and two Army soldiers (one in Yeoncheon and one in Goseong). The Army officer, who lives in Uijeongbu and commutes to a unit in Paju, was quarantined after a civilian contact tested positive on the 21st, and later tested positive for COVID-19 during diagnostic testing.

The Army soldier in Yeoncheon tested negative upon entering the training center but later developed symptoms and was retested, while the Army soldier in Goseong developed symptoms during preventive quarantine after returning from leave and was confirmed positive after testing.

The military and health authorities are conducting epidemiological investigations to determine the exact infection routes of the additional confirmed cases. Meanwhile, as of this date, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the military is 267. Among them, 91 are receiving treatment, and 176 have been declared fully recovered.